Highlights of the noon briefing by Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General (excerpt on Occupied Palestinian Territory) 27 June 2024

27 June 2024

(Excerpt)

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Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to Gaza in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, I can tell you that our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warn that access constraints continue to hamper aid operations – including efforts to scale up nutrition support. Our partners report that limited access in the north is preventing the establishment of new nutrition services centre in that area.

Meanwhile in central Gaza, difficulties continue in finding adequate space to set up nutrition sites in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis areas. However, our humanitarian partners are continuing their efforts to expand their presence in those areas, as well as in Al Mawasi and Gaza City.

The World Food Programme says its operations are being severely hindered by the escalation of fighting in southern and central Gaza, as well as the limited flow of humanitarian assistance and the lack of public order and safety in the south.

Despite these challenges, the World Food Programme has managed to reach more than 766,000 people in Gaza with food this month – though these rations have been reduced due to limited aid and dwindling food stocks. So far in June, WFP has also provided 9.4 million hot meals through a network of more than 90 community kitchens, and they were able to reach about 300,000 people through that. The vast majority of these meals were distributed in Deir al Balah and Khan Younis.

However, our humanitarian partners say a shortage of cooking gas – combined with the absence of a public power supply – is hindering efforts to help to keep these community kitchens and bakeries running.

The UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, says people in Gaza are living surrounded by piles of waste and sewage. Health conditions continue to worsen due to crowded shelters; lack of food, water and fuel; minimal access to medical supplies; and the summer heat that is hitting Gaza.

Our partners report that efforts to collect and transfer solid waste to temporary sites are continuing this month, but at a lower rate due to the lack of fuel.
Fuel shortages could also hinder ongoing maintenance work on the electricity feeder line for the Southern Gaza Seawater Desalination Plant.

Meanwhile, our partners working to provide shelter for displaced people in Gaza report that repeated waves of displacement are wearing out makeshift shelters, which are having to be disassembled and reassembled again.

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