Limited access bedevils aid groups in Gaza

Despite Israel's policy of allowing aid convoys into Gaza through both the Kerem Shalom and Karni crossings, reports suggest food and medical supplies are not getting to where they are most needed.



Yael Segev Eytan of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Tel Aviv, told IRIN: “We manage to get medical supplies into Gaza but many times we cannot reach the hospitals. [Aid delivery] missions have to be aborted for security reasons and this results in medical aid and supplies not reaching the population in certain areas. It is not so much an issue of getting the supplies into Gaza as it is an issue of limited access.''



Sami Mshasha, a spokesman of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNWRA) in Gaza, told IRIN there were great difficulties in reaching the needy population due in part to the fear for UNWRA drivers’ lives, given the heavy Israeli bombardment.



On 15 January, some 180 aid trucks were still waiting at Karni and Kerem Shalom crossings to be allowed into Gaza - held up by lengthy checking procedures. They were laden with dry food, medical supplies and animal feed. Israel reportedly fears that if the crossings operate at full tilt they might become targets for Hamas rockets.



According to the IDF spokesperson’s unit, the District Coordination Office (DCO), which is in charge of the crossings, maintains close daily contact with several international aid organisations to address humanitarian needs in Gaza.



ICRC head laments



At a press conference in Jerusalem on 14 January, ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger gave an account of his visit to Gaza City on 13 January.



"What I saw… was a tragic situation resulting in more and more suffering among women and children, and more and more casualties arriving at hospitals."



"What I saw there [Al-Shifa hospital] is shocking. It really hurts when you see all the wounded and the gravity of the wounds they suffer," he said.



According to B'tselem, Physicians for Human Rights, and several other Israeli NGOs collecting data and testimonies from inside Gaza, access to medical care is often delayed or prevented due to the security situation.



UNWRA’s offices in Gaza were hit by Israeli tank shells on 15 January. The Israeli news service, Rotter, said Gaza’s main hospital, Al-Shifa, had also been hit.



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