UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued an urgent plea Friday to accelerate humanitarian aid delivery to Gaza, warning that current efforts amount to "a teaspoon of aid when a flood is required" as famine threatens the enclave's 2.3 million residents.
Speaking to reporters, Guterres revealed that while Israel recently permitted 400 aid trucks through the Kerem Shalom crossing, only 115 were successfully collected. No supplies have reached northern Gaza, where hunger conditions are most severe. "The entire population faces catastrophic food insecurity," he said, citing UN assessments.
The UN chief outlined systemic challenges: "Strict quotas, delayed procedures, and bans on essentials like fuel and water purification supplies are strangling relief efforts." He emphasized that aid workers' lives remain at risk without proper security measures, with looting incidents escalating amid desperation.
Guterres stressed Israel's obligations under international law to facilitate aid as the occupying power, noting 80% of Gaza now falls under Israeli military zones or evacuation orders. "Four-fifths of the territory is inaccessible to its own people," he stated.
The UN has prepared a five-stage relief plan with 160,000 pallets of supplies – enough to fill 9,000 trucks – ready for deployment. "We have personnel, networks, and systems in place," Guterres said. "This is an appeal for life-saving action: Let's do it right. And right away."
His remarks came alongside renewed calls for a permanent ceasefire and hostage release, as civilian casualties mount in Israel's ongoing military campaign.
