UN humanitarians plea for lifting of Gaza aid blockade

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said more civilians were killed and injured and critical infrastructure damaged, Xinhua news agency reported.

"All crossings remain closed for the entry of aid and other supplies essential for people's survival," OCHA said. "Since March 2, no aid or commercial goods have been allowed into Gaza, marking the longest such closure since October 2023."

OCHA said its humanitarian partners warn that the nutrition situation is growing more dire by the day due to the depletion of stocks.

The office said that although humanitarians continue to carry out malnutrition screenings across Gaza, supply shortages and movement restrictions hamper their operations.

OCHA noted that in March, its partners could only screen about 50,000 children for malnutrition, a decrease of more than a third compared to the previous month.

"Partners are also having difficulty accessing remaining stocks of ready-to-use complementary food, which are stored in areas of North Gaza governorate that are difficult to reach due to ongoing hostilities and displacement orders," OCHA said. "In March, the distribution of these supplies was half of February's levels."

The humanitarians said that new Israeli displacement orders covering five neighbourhoods in Gaza, Khan Younis and northern Rafah forced more families to flee to Mawasi and areas west of Gaza City.

"Shelters for displaced people are overstretched: Hygiene and sanitation conditions are collapsing, with water lacking and reports of flea and insect infestations," the office said.

OCHA warned that displacement orders leave civilians exposed to hostilities and deprive them of access to services essential for their survival, calling for immediate reopening of the crossings so that urgently needed cargo and humanitarian aid could enter Gaza.