New York, Dec. 17 (Petra) – The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated on Tuesday that UN-led aid missions to North Gaza remain heavily blocked.

In its daily report, OCHA explained that missions aimed at reaching the besieged areas of Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and parts of Jabalia have been denied access. The Israeli occupation authorities once again rejected three humanitarian missions today, which aimed to deliver food and water to parts of besieged North Gaza.

OCHA emphasized the need to protect civilians still in North Gaza and meet their basic needs, given the ongoing Israeli blockade. It confirmed that meeting civilians' essential needs also means facilitating the work of the UN and its humanitarian partners, who have been attempting to deliver food, water, healthcare, and other vital aid but have been prevented or hindered in their efforts.

In this context, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that it was able to access the Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza on Saturday, despite ongoing hostilities around the hospital. The WHO managed to deliver 5,000 liters of fuel, along with food and medicines, and also transferred 3 patients and 6 of their companions to Shifa Hospital.

The WHO noted that the ongoing hostilities around Kamal Adwan Hospital and recent attacks had further damaged the hospital’s oxygen supplies and generators.

Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that 4 other missions planned by the organization to reach the hospital were arbitrarily rejected last week, noting that the efforts were aimed at redeploying an international emergency medical team, which had been evacuated from the hospital 11 days ago due to the ongoing fighting.

//Petra// AF

17/12/2024 23:54:46