UN warns fuel shortage threatens Gaza aid operations amid Israeli border closures
UN says Israeli restrictions on crossings hamper humanitarian operations in Gaza.
The United Nations has warned that Israeli restrictions on Gaza's border crossings are severely hampering humanitarian operations, with fuel shortages threatening to halt essential services across the besieged territory.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference on Tuesday that "all crossings except Karem Abu Salem are still closed," describing the closures as among "many persistent challenges" facing aid workers.
Dujarric said only 1.4 million litres of fuel have entered Gaza since Tuesday.
"We need more than 2 million litres of fuel every week to avoid interruption or reduction in our services," he said.
The UN also warned that the fuel deficit is hampering waste removal operations across the enclave.
Since February 10, aid teams have cleared "3,000 cubic metres of solid waste out of over 350,000 metres of accumulated waste," Dujarric said.
"Just to note that this pace is significantly below the anticipated schedule due to challenges with fuel availability and insecurity," he added.
Shelter operations are also facing major obstacles.
Dujarric said Israeli restrictions on so-called "dual use" materials — including "toolkits, heavy equipment, timber and cement" — are limiting humanitarian response efforts.
He called for the "reopening of additional crossings" and a "sustained and predictable flow of diverse critical supplies" into Gaza.