U.N. urges opening of 2nd border crossing into Gaza as need for aid grows

U.N. urges opening of 2nd border crossing into Gaza as need for aid grows
by Darryl Coote
Washington DC (UPI) Oct 31, 2023

The United Nations is urging a second border crossing with Gaza be opened to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Palestinians in need.

Since last week, small amounts of humanitarian aid have been entering the besieged Palestinian enclave of Gaza via the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. Though a victory, Palestinian and U.N. officials have repeatedly said it is not enough to address the overwhelming need.

U.N. officials on Monday detailed that vast need before the Security Council in New York City, stating that the desperation of Gazans searching for food, water and shelter amid Israel's incessant bombing of the region is only deepening, resulting in U.N. warehouses ransacked. There are also rising concerns over the spread of disease due to unsafe water and a breakdown in sewage treatment services.

The hospital system has been on the verge of collapse for days, with doctors performing surgery without anesthesia and the lives of patients on dialysis and premature babies in incubators jeopardized by Israel's blackout of power on Gaza that sees hospital backup generators running on fuel that officials say is nearly spent, they said.

Lisa Doughten, a U.N. humanitarian financing and resource mobilization official, told the Security Council that more than one entry point into Gaza is needed to make a difference in the suffering.

She specifically pointed to the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Gaza and Israel, saying it "is the only crossing equipped to rapidly process a sufficiently large number of trucks."

"It is imperative that we are able get humanitarian supplies and relief into Gaza safely, reliably, without impediment and at the scale required," she told the council.

"In particular, [it is] urgent for us to replenish fuel supplies, which are vital for powering most essential services, including hospitals and water desalination plants, and to transport humanitarian relief inside Gaza."

Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza after the militant group killed 1,400 Israelis in a surprise attack Oct. 7 when they also kidnapped more than 200 people.

The war has consisted of Israeli warplanes bombarding Gaza, as well as engaging in fights with Hezbollah in Lebanon and other Iran-backed militants in Syria. Recently, it has expanded to an Israeli ground invasions of Gaza.

Israel's bombardment of Gaza has killed more than 8,000 people, including 3,324 children.

Prior to the war, some 500 trucks would enter Gaza a day. Since then, a total 144 trucks have entered and none with fuel, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said Monday, when it received 26 trucks containing food and medical equipment.

Late last month during a brief emergency trip to Israel, U.S. President Joe Biden secured the opening of the Rafah border crossing, getting Egypt to allow aid into Gaza and Israel to refrain from interfering in the delivery.

Israel has said that until Hamas releases all hostages, nothing will enter Gaza via its side of the border.

The U.N. meeting was held amid Israel's ground invasion of northern Gaza, and the U.N. is concerned about the future of the conflict.

"We have very real fears about what lies ahead. The current situation may pale in comparison with what is to come," Doughten said. "There is a genuine risk that this war could escalate further and spill over into [the] wider region. We must take urgent collective action to prevent this."

Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general for the U.N.'s relief agency for Palestinian refugees, described Israel's bombing of Gaza as "relentless" and "shocking."

More than 1 million northern Gazans were ordered to evacuate to the enclave's southern half where they continued to come under Israeli airstrikes.

"No place is safe in Gaza," he said. "The current siege imposed on Gaza is collective punishment."

He said for the safe, unimpeded flor of humanitarian aid a cease-fire is needed.

"An immediate humanitarian cease-fire has become a matter of life and death for millions. The present and future of Palestinians and Israelis depend on it," he said.