Humanitarian aid has been entering Gaza since the ceasefire came into effect, but the 600 trucks going through the Rafah crossing on a daily basis are insufficient to respond to the needs of the population, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), a global aid agency.
“Prior to October 7, [2023], 500 trucks were entering Gaza on any working day — and that was when people were working and living in their homes,” Shaina Low, communications adviser at NRC, told Al Jazeera. “Now, we’re having 600 trucks enter each day and we’re in an emergency crisis setting.”
Additionally, aid organisations “faced incredible obstruction in getting aid into Gaza” during the past 15 months. “Now, we’re finally able to scale up our response, but there are still delays in screening certain types of material,” Low said.
Materials labelled as “dual use” by Israel, which include medical supplies, are facing restrictions. Delays are also caused by the limited availability of screening equipment employed by Israeli authorities to check aid trucks, the spokesperson added.
