Egypt Calls for Humanitarian Aid for Gaza
Egypt hosted an international conference on Monday in Cairo to garner humanitarian support for Gaza, which has been severely impacted by over a year of conflict between Hamas and Israel.
The event was attended by senior regional and Western officials, as well as UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J. Mohammed and other high-ranking UN representatives.
The conference was held amid a rapidly worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly in the northern areas of the Strip, which have been nearly cut off for nearly two months.
Discussions focused on the political, security, and humanitarian dimensions of the Gaza situation, with a strong emphasis on supporting the operations of UNRWA, the main humanitarian agency providing aid to Palestinians.
UNRWA announced on Sunday that it was suspending aid deliveries through the Kerem Shalom crossing, Gaza’s primary cargo entry point, due to threats from armed gangs that had looted aid convoys. The agency criticized Israel’s policies for the breakdown of law and order in Gaza.
This decision has the potential to deepen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, as a second cold and rainy winter approaches, leaving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in dire conditions in overcrowded camps, dependent on international aid.
Experts have warned of looming famine in the northern regions of Gaza, which have been almost entirely isolated by Israeli forces since October.
The Israeli military body responsible for Gaza’s humanitarian aid efforts stated on X that it will continue collaborating with the international community to increase aid through Kerem Shalom and other crossings. It also noted that UNRWA coordinated less than 10% of the aid entering Gaza in November.
