A UN envoy has said that a funding shortfall could hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza during the current ceasefire agreement. According to UN figures, daily deliveries have increased tenfold since Sunday's agreement, exceeding the target of 600 trucks per day for the first seven weeks of the truce, News.bg reports.
Muhanad Hadi, humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territories, said he was "very happy" with the successful start, but stressed the serious funding problem. "Urgent funds are needed to ensure the continuity of aid for the next 42 days and beyond, if we are to move from the first to the second phase of assistance," Hadi added after a visit to Gaza.
He said the humanitarian effort had made a successful start, with residents returning to the ruins of their homes in Gaza, seeking to rebuild their lives. "People are saying clearly: they do not want to rely on aid. They want to rebuild their lives," he said, adding that it was crucial to ensure sustainable funding so that these people were not disappointed.
The UN is trying to raise $4.1 billion for the needs of the occupied Palestinian territories this year, with the bulk of it going to Gaza. So far, the organization has managed to fund 3.6 percent of the funds needed.
Challenges for aid workers include problems transporting food and aid through the destroyed streets of Gaza. Hadi said the difficulty could be compounded by the expected large influx of people returning to the northern part of the enclave under the terms of the ceasefire.