UN Food Agency Demands Faster Gaza Access to Scale Up Aid

The United Nations' World Food Program (WFP) announced it is intensifying its humanitarian operations in Gaza but stresses that faster access and streamlined clearance procedures are critically needed to deliver massive food stocks awaiting dispatch. The agency reported that over 170,000 metric tons of aid, enough to sustain Gaza's population for up to three months, is positioned for entry as a fragile ceasefire takes hold.

Scaling up the delivery of essential supplies will require the fast and efficient use of all available entry points into Gaza, according to the WFP. The UN agency highlighted that secure, unhindered humanitarian access, the rehabilitation of vital infrastructure, and faster clearance protocols at ports like Ashdod are fundamental prerequisites for success. These logistical challenges remain significant barriers to getting food to the 1.6 million people targeted for assistance in the first phase.

The WFP's scaled-up plan involves distributing bread, wheat flour, and family food parcels. It also aims to significantly expand its support for local bakeries, increasing production from 10 to 30 sites to provide 100,000 bundles of fresh bread daily. Furthermore, the program is boosting specialized nutritional support for vulnerable groups like pregnant women and expanding its digital payment system, which has already enabled 140,000 people to purchase food locally.

The push for expanded aid delivery comes amidst a new ceasefire agreement, the details of which were recently announced. The WFP stated that for its operations to meet the scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the cessation of hostilities must hold. The conflict, which began in October 2023, has resulted in extensive casualties and has left the Gaza Strip largely uninhabitable, creating one of the most severe humanitarian crises globally.