Gaza aid stockpiles run dry after Israel’s ban on assistance, UN says

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Humanitarian needs on the ground in Gaza have been "staggering", and the trickling aid into the enclave has not been enough to build a reserve, the UN agency for children (Unicef) said, following Israel's ban on the entry of assistance.

"We distributed them as soon as we could so we don't have important stocks in our warehouses. The needs in Gaza are just staggering," Unicef communications specialist Rosalia Bollen told The National.

This will have a "devastating and immediate impact" on families who had been relying on aid for their most basic needs during the harsh winter season, including tarpaulins to make tents, clothes, hygiene kits which include shampoo, sanitary pads and food parcels.

Israel's ban on supplies such as baby food and high-protein biscuits will have a significant affect on children, compounding the issue of not receiving proper nutrition during the 15-month Israeli bombardment of the tiny enclave, Ms Bollen highlighted, who has been in the Strip since October last year.

While Unicef's aid into Gaza had increased threefold during the first phase of the ceasefire which began on January 19, agencies have not been able to undo the damage that befell the strip in six weeks.

"There is a perception that things are better in Gaza during a ceasefire but the reality is that the humanitarian crisis continues due to the extent of devastation and collapse of services."

Israel blocked aid after attempting an extension of the first phase of the ceasefire deal instead of moving on to the second phase as was initially stipulated in the agreement.

Global condemnation poured in against Israel's aid blockade, with Amnesty International calling it a "crime against humanity", accusing Israel of weaponising aid.

Ms Bollen says that the recent deaths of babies by hypothermia, as caravans and tents were kept outside the Rafah border crossing with Egypt ready for entry into Gaza, is the "strongest reminder" of the needs that have yet to be met.

"The over one million children in Gaza did not start the war and absolutely don't have the power to end it or change anything about their situation," Ms Bollen said.

Children sleep on mattresses that get wet from rain that seeps into their tents, the UN official said. Many do not have adequate clothing and go barefoot through the dirt, through sewage, and on rubble, causing them injuries, Ms Bollen added.

"They are robbed of their childhoods and their rights have been violated in all possible ways."

On Tuesday, Israel's foreign minister indicated a readiness to move onto phase two of the ceasefire agreement, as was originally agreed, as long as Hamas cedes military control of Gaza - a move that Hamas has long refused.

This comes as Arab states and the UN gave their backing to an Egyptian plan for rebuilding Gaza at an emergency Arab League summit in Cairo on Tuesday while also calling for a long-term solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

The Arab League met in Cairo to propose a plan for Gaza, which included a 20-member technocratic committee and a $50 billion reconstruction project.