UNICEF accelerates aid delivery to Gaza

According to a press release, UNICEF aims to deliver 50 trucks of aid daily in this initial phase of the ceasefire, and serve needs of 2 million people in the region.

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New Delhi: UNICEF has accelerated the distribution of supplies and services to children in the Gaza Strip, with more than 350 trucks entering in the first week of the ceasefire in Gaza. The agency aims to meet the needs of over a million children affected by the 15-month-long bombardment, according to a UNICEF press release.

This includes water, hygiene kits, malnutrition treatments, warm clothing, tarpaulins, and other vital humanitarian support to over two million people in the region. Entering through crossing points at both the north and south of the Gaza Strip, the aid is being distributed in collaboration with partners to families in need, stated the release.

“Our teams are working around the clock to scale up desperately needed humanitarian assistance, especially in areas not reached before the ceasefire due to operational challenges or restrictions,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “UNICEF teams continue to encounter children in desperate need. The ceasefire has provided some relief, but families are returning to areas that have been completely destroyed. Physical and emotional scars run deep.”

UNICEF welcomed the release of 12 children and young adults who were first detained as children from Israeli custody called to end the detention of children in all its forms and renewed its call for the release of all hostages from the Gaza Strip, especially the two remaining children.

UNICEF is committed to delivering 50 trucks of aid daily in this initial phase of the ceasefire, the release said. The organization is prioritising the delivery of items identified as most urgent by local communities and humanitarian partners.