Martin Griffiths, the UN’s coordinator for humanitarian affairs, reports that 14 trucks carrying further aid traveled through the Rafah border crossing with Egypt on Sunday.
In a statement posted on X, Mr. Griffiths said that the UN and Egyptian Red Cross supplies were “another glimmer of hope for the millions of people in dire need of humanitarian aid they need more, much more.”Griffiths said.
Regarding what was in the trucks, no specifics were given.
As a result of the ongoing hostilities, a first convoy entered Gaza on Saturday, cutting off more than two million people from access to water, food, medicine, gasoline, and other necessities.
The 20 trucks brought in much-needed goods, including wheat flour, tins of tomato sauce, and tuna, as well as enough water to supply 22,000 people for a whole day.
On the Egyptian side of the Rafah crossing, hundreds more trucks are waiting to cross.
The UN has urged the release of dozens of hostages taken by Hamas during its murderous assault on southern Israel on October 7, which is said to have started the crisis, as well as a steady supply of aid to Gaza.
Israel responded with continuous air strikes, a complete siege of Gaza, and orders for people to evacuate the northern part of the enclave.
Humanitarians report that more than one million people are displaced in Gaza, water systems are at five percent of their normal capacity, and hospitals are overstretched and on the verge of collapse.
Gaza was already in a dire humanitarian state due to years of blockade after Hamas took control in 2006, and UN agencies have described the situation now as “catastrophic.”
Some 406,000 people are sheltering in facilities belonging to UNRWA, the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees, which said on Sunday that its fuel supply will be gone in three days. Safe humanitarian access to people across Gaza is also critical.
Mr. Griffiths praised the aid workers on the Palestinian side of the border who immediately sprang to action to offload the goods from the trucks despite the risks.
He said that these “true heroes” also needed protection.