WHO says Israeli 'pause' in Gaza didn't help aid supplies

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
21 Jun 2024 15:05
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The UN Health Agency reports that the "pause" declared by the Israeli military in Gaza to allegedly "facilitate" aid flows has had no impact on the delivery of urgently needed supplies.

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A Palestinian child awaits malnourishment treatment at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital on May 30, 2024. (AFP)

The UN's health agency reported on Friday that the "pause" declared by the Israeli military in Gaza allegedly to "facilitate" aid flows has not affected the delivery of desperately needed supplies.

"So overall, we the UN can say that we did not see an impact on the humanitarian supplies coming in since that, I will say, unilateral announcement of this technical pause," said Richard Peeperkorn, the World Health Organization representative in the Palestinian territories.

"That is the overall assessment," he stressed.

The Israeli occupation's military command announced on June 16 that it would implement a daily "tactical pause of military activity" in parts of the southern Gaza Strip during daylight hours to allegedly facilitate the delivery of aid.

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) currently occupy and control every crossing into the Gaza Strip, including the Rafah border crossing between Palestine and Egypt. This, alongside restrictions implemented by brutal force, has hindered aid delivery processes into the besieged territory.

The occupation's military said that "a local, tactical pause of military activity for humanitarian purposes will take place from 08:00 until 19:00 every day until further notice along the road that leads from the Kerem Shalom Crossing to the Salah al-Din Road and then northwards."

This is happening as the death toll resulting from malnutrition continues mounting as "Israel" deliberately starves Palestinians and blocks humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza.

What does the Israeli announcement entail?

The Salah al-Din Road cuts across the cities of the Gaza Strip, linking the North to the South, passing through Rafah, and ends at a secondary crossing used for commercial trade between Palestine and Egypt, dubbed the Salah al-Din Gate.

On the other hand, what was described as the Kerem Shalom Crossing is the Israeli-controlled Karem Abu Salem Crossing, which is located on the southern end of the separation line between the Gaza Strip and Israeli-occupied '48 Palestinian territories.

This crossing and surrounding facilities have been integral to the Israeli war on Gaza, especially in its later stages. The area has served as a checkpoint for most of the aid entering the besieged territory and a military base for occupation forces readying up to invade the southernmost city of Rafah.

Over 50,000 children in Gaza suffer from acute malnutrition: UNRWA

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported last week that more than 50,000 children in Gaza are experiencing severe malnutrition due to ongoing restrictions on humanitarian aid.

In a post on X, the agency stated that people are facing "desperate levels of hunger" as a result of restricted access to aid. It further reaffirmed its commitment to continue the delivery of humanitarian aid but described the current situation as catastrophic, stressing the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire.

In a separate post, the agency also mentioned the devastating condition of Gaza's hospitals, noting critical shortages of medical supplies and fuel that are exacerbating the health crisis.

At the time, UNICEF also expressed grave concern over more than 3,000 malnourished children in Gaza, warning of imminent risks to their lives due to the lack of essential medical care following the Israeli bombardment of Rafah city in southern Gaza.

UN agencies have issued alerts, warning that without immediate humanitarian interventions and international efforts to reach affected areas, Gaza residents could soon face catastrophic levels of food insecurity by October.