Complete Support Needed for All Sectors in Gaza: UN Representative
Click to start listening
Synopsis
A UN official emphasizes the urgent need for comprehensive support across all sectors in Gaza following the recent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. Key areas requiring assistance include health, education, and shelter. The reconstruction process for the region is crucial to help families return home after extensive damage from prolonged conflict.
Key Takeaways
- All sectors in Gaza require immediate support post-ceasefire.
- The private sector's role must be enhanced for recovery.
- UN agencies need collaboration with local organizations.
- Health, education, and psychological support are critical areas.
- Reconstruction efforts are essential for family reunification.
Gaza, Jan 21 (NationPress) All sectors within the Gaza Strip urgently require comprehensive support following the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that commenced on Sunday, a UN official stated on Tuesday.
"It is crucial to enhance the private sector's role in Gaza, and it is vital to provide support for shelters in the Strip," said Muhannad Hadi, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during a press conference held in Deir al-Balah, located in the central Gaza Strip.
Hadi emphasized the necessity to strengthen the operations of UN agencies alongside local community organizations, highlighting that areas such as health care, education, nutrition, and psychological support are in urgent need of aid.
He urged for "the essential assistance to be provided to the people of Gaza during the reconstruction phase to facilitate families' return to their homes," as reported by Xinhua news agency.
The ceasefire represents a halt to 15 months of conflict that inflicted severe human suffering and devastation upon the besieged enclave.
According to the UN, by December 2024, around 69 percent of the Gaza Strip, equating to 170,812 buildings, had experienced damage or destruction.
On Sunday, a long convoy of trucks, filled with humanitarian supplies, made its way toward the heavily secured Rafah crossing just hours after the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas took effect.
The trucks, transporting food, clothing, medical supplies, tents, mobile toilets, and various other relief items, had been stationed in multiple cities within Egypt's North Sinai Governorate, particularly Arish, Sheikh Zuweid, and Rafah, with some waiting for months to assist Palestinians in need.
"I have delivered substantial aid to the Gaza Strip since the onset of the conflict in October 2023, until the inflow of aid to the Strip became nearly nonexistent due to strict Israeli policies," remarked 65-year-old truck driver Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed.
"Today, I feel joyful not only because I can deliver this aid to the residents of the Gaza Strip, but also because the people of Gaza will finally be able to sleep without fear for the first time in over a year since the ceasefire was enacted this morning," he shared with Xinhua.
Ibrahim noted that his truck was loaded with clothing and blankets, pointing out that "the residents of the Strip are in desperate need of these items due to the harsh winter cold they are enduring while living in tents."
The ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, with its initial phase lasting 42 days, was established on Wednesday through the mediation efforts of Egypt, Qatar, and the United States. It began to take effect on Sunday.
