As preliminary peace talks begin in Egypt, the United Nations has announced a $9 million emergency allocation to sustain life-saving services in Gaza, where violence continues to disrupt humanitarian efforts. Despite a reduction in Israeli airstrikes, shelling and gunfire persist, with local health authorities reporting 21 fatalities and 96 injuries in a single day, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Humanitarian access remains severely constrained, with only eight of 19 planned aid missions successfully coordinated with Israeli authorities this week. Critical supplies, including fuel and food, were delivered to Deir al-Balah and the Kerem Shalom crossing, while six missions were denied and five canceled due to security concerns. OCHA emphasized that displacement sites in southern Gaza are overwhelmed, pushing families to seek shelter in improvised areas like the Al Amal garbage dumping site, where 70 tents have recently appeared.
UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher allocated the funds to maintain fuel-dependent health services and water systems. Meanwhile, aid workers distributed 885,000 meals through 167 kitchens across Gaza, though only 12 remain operational in the north. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, stated relief teams are prepared to deliver "thousands of metric tonnes" of supplies through Cyprus and Ashdod port once crossings reopen. "The machinery is cranked up and ready to go," he said.
