The UN agency handling aid distribution in Gaza, UNRWA, reiterated on Friday that if its work in Gaza is disrupted, the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will be at risk.
An Israeli ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) went into effect on Thursday, but the government has not communicated that to the UN, said Juliette Touma, UNRWA director of communications, speaking from Amman, at a UN press conference in Geneva.
She said that since the current ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on Jan. 19, the agency brought in 60% of all aid supplies that went into Gaza, and its teams continue to distribute.
"So, it's not just about bringing in the trucks; it's also about the reach and the distribution of aid," said Touma.
She said UNRWA was also able to do that in northern Gaza, where, as it estimates, hundreds of thousands of people have come back to their homes.
"If UNRWA work is interrupted, if UNRWA is not allowed to continue to bring and distribute supplies, then the fate of this very fragile ceasefire is going to be at risk and is going to be in jeopardy," said Touma describing the war there as "a really rough ride."
UNRWA staff have not been protected, and 270 of them have been killed, some of them in the line of duty, said the UN official.
"We've recorded that two-thirds of our buildings were hit during the war. We've had shelters with displaced families, but we also had warehouses. We've had convoys in Gaza being hit, so it hasn't been safe," said Touma.
She said the agency has said more than once since the war started on Oct. 7, 2023, that Gaza is not safe, and no place there is safe, including for aid workers.
"Now, with the ceasefire, of course, we've seen a great decrease in violence, and that's fantastic for the people of Gaza in particular," said Touma.
At the same press conference, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, World Health Organization (WHO) representative in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, noted that health needs in Gaza are immense and that only 18 out of 36 hospitals are "partially functional" along with only 57 of 142 primary health care centers.
"The ceasefire is allowing us to scale up aid. Since the ceasefire began, WHO has received 62 trucks," Peeperkorn.
"Over the next two days, 22 more trucks are expected to arrive. WHO has dispatched supplies to cover the health needs of 1.6 million people from existing stocks within Gaza."
He noted that the influx into the north has increased health needs since the ceasefire.
Peppercorn said that since Jan. 27, more than 423,000 people have crossed toward northern Gaza.
He explained that currently, there are only 10 partially functional hospitals in Gaza City and one in North Gaza.
The WHO official said that medical evacuation must urgently resume.
"Currently 12,000-14,000 people need medical evacuation. At least 2,500 children need urgent medical evacuation. Based on the latest reports, the first medical evacuation since the ceasefire is expected tomorrow via Rafah," said Peeperkorn.
