The UN humanitarian office on Wednesday warned that the situation in the Gaza Strip remains \u201cextremely dire,\u201d despite ongoing efforts by the UN and its partners to reach civilians across the territory where a ceasefire is in place after two years of Israeli war, Anadolu reports.<\/p>\n
In a statement, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that \u201cthe humanitarian situation in Gaza remains extremely dire, despite ongoing efforts by the UN and its partners to reach people in need wherever they are.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saying that \u201chumanitarians continue to carry out assessments and provide assistance to families affected by last week\u2019s rainstorm,\u201d OCHA reported that \u201cover 18,600 households were impacted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thousands of families \u201clost their shelters, had their belongings damaged, or were again displaced,\u201d the agency said, adding that the number continues to rise as assessments are completed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith winter drawing near, partners working on shelter warn that the volume of items entering Gaza is not sufficient to meet people\u2019s immense needs,\u201d OCHA said, stressing that since Sept., fewer than 60,000 tents, 346,000 tarpaulins and 309,000 bedding items have entered Gaza, even as hundreds of thousands urgently require shelter support.<\/p>\n
OCHA reiterated its call for \u201citems that are currently restricted from entry into Gaza, including equipment to rehabilitate critical infrastructure,\u201d to be allowed in.<\/p>\n
It also re-emphasized \u201cthe need for NGOs to be permitted to bring assistance into Gaza, and for the opening of additional crossings\u201d to ensure faster and more efficient aid delivery.<\/p>\n