UN warns aid slowed by fuel shortage in Gaza Strip
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- Fuel shortages and blocked roads sharply slow humanitarian response across the Gaza Strip, the United Nations says.
- Aid groups resume monthly food rations for the first time since October 2023, reaching 100,000 people.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said fuel shortages and road closures are significantly slowing humanitarian operations across Gaza, despite a partial resumption of fuel shipments.
In a report, OCHA said ongoing access restrictions, congestion, and storage gaps continue to drive up costs and delay the delivery of aid, even as limited fuel enters the territory.
Access limits strain relief efforts
OCHA said humanitarian partners face persistent challenges moving supplies and staff due to blocked routes and restricted access, conditions that hamper efforts to reach communities most in need.
“While fuel shipments have resumed, continuing access constraints, congestion, and storage gaps are increasing costs and delaying assistance,” the agency said.
Fuel is critical for powering hospitals, water systems, bakeries, and aid convoys. Repeated shortages have disrupted essential services across Gaza.
Food aid resumes after long pause
The UN said its partners have resumed the distribution of monthly food rations for the first time since October 2023, reaching about 100,000 people.
Humanitarian organizations had repeatedly warned that prolonged interruptions to food assistance risk deepening hunger and malnutrition, particularly among children and older people.
Health and education services expand
OCHA said that since the ceasefire, thirty-five health service points have been reactivated and twenty-five new points established, including twelve primary health care centers. Most of these facilities are located in northern Gaza.
The agency also reported an expansion of temporary learning spaces to 424 sites across the Gaza Strip. Two new spaces were opened between January 3 and January 4, offering limited educational access to displaced children.
OCHA stressed that sustained access, adequate fuel supplies, and secure routes remain essential to scaling up humanitarian assistance and preventing further deterioration of living conditions in Gaza.
