UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- As Ramadan is observed in the Gaza Strip, UN humanitarians and their partners on Thursday urgently called for lifting the restrictions on bringing in widely needed aid.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the entry of aid supplies from Egypt has remained critically low due to high rejection rates by Israeli authorities. Partners also continue to advocate the resumption of government-to-government convoys from Jordan to enable larger volume deliveries, including food supplies.
OCHA said on Wednesday that partners were aligning the timing of meal preparation and distribution with Ramadan fasting hours, and they added additional fresh produce and protein products to delivered meals. As of mid-February, more than 20 partners produced and distributed over 1.7 million meals daily through 180 kitchens.
The office said that as of Monday, partners reached around 670,000 people with the monthly general food assistance for February. However, the ration size remains reduced at 50 percent since current stocks in the strip are insufficient to sustain larger rations for the rest of the month.
On emergency shelter, OCHA said that between Feb. 11-17, humanitarian partners provided tents, tarpaulins, sealing-off kits, clothing and other essential items to over 11,500 households in North Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates. Shelter agencies reported that the materials in use offer limited protection and deteriorate quickly, calling for longer-lasting housing solutions to be allowed into Gaza. ■
