The United Nations said on Saturday that it aims for a “reliable” process to bring aid into the Gaza Strip as quickly as possible.
The UN statement added, “Difficult but fair discussions with Israel regarding the aid verification system, pointing to negotiations on sending a second convoy of 20-30 aid trucks to Gaza tomorrow.”
Transporting enough water to 22,000 people in Gaza
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that it was able to deliver sufficient water supplies for 22,000 people for one day through the Rafah crossing into Gaza on Saturday.
“More than 44,000 bottles of drinking water provided by UNICEF – enough for 22,000 people for just one day – were transported through the Rafah crossing today as part of a convoy of 20 trucks with the Egyptian Red Crescent, the World Health Organization and the World Food Program,” she added.
According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, water provision is “a matter of life and death” for one million children in Gaza “facing a critical protection and humanitarian crisis,” the UNICEF statement said.
“First, limited water will save lives, but the needs are immediate and enormous – not just for water, but also for food, fuel, medicines and essential goods and services. Unless we can consistently provide humanitarian supplies, we face a real threat.” “From outbreaks of life-threatening diseases,” Russell added.
UNICEF said the conflict, which has been ongoing for nearly two weeks, has caused severe damage to Gaza’s water and sanitation networks, with water production capacity currently at 5% of normal levels.
“Nearly 2.3 million Gazans now live on 3 liters of water per person per day,” UNICEF added.
The agency issued an urgent appeal to open all crossings leading into Gaza to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid on a broader scale, in addition to the movement of relief workers and urgent medical cases in Gaza that require critical medical care.
