Dozens of humanitarian organizations have begun scaling up efforts to deliver aid to Gaza following the recent Israel-Hamas ceasefire.
Essential supplies such as food, clean water, medicine, and hygiene products are critically low, while hundreds of thousands of displaced families live in overcrowded tents.
Aid workers report significant obstacles including limited aid volumes allowed by Israeli authorities, destroyed infrastructure, and logistical difficulties reaching affected areas.
The approaching winter season adds urgency to delivering provisions to help Palestinians endure colder months.
The United Nations reported progress on October 12, with hundreds of thousands of hot meals, bread bundles, cooking gas, tents, frozen meat, fresh fruit, flour, and medicine entering Gaza for the first time since March.
However, aid deliveries were halted on subsequent days due to the transfer of Israeli hostages and Jewish religious holidays.
Israeli officials announced restrictions on aid volumes and border crossing closures after Hamas failed to return all deceased hostages’ bodies as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement.
Only half the agreed number of trucks, exclusively from the UN and humanitarian NGOs, are now permitted entry, with no private sector involvement and limited fuel allowed.
Humanitarian leaders emphasize that the current aid flow is insufficient to meet Gaza’s needs.
CARE Palestine’s Country Director, Jolien Veldwijk, described the aid entering Gaza as a "trickle" compared to the scale of destruction, which has worsened since the first ceasefire months ago.
Many organizations have been unable to send aid since March due to an 11-week Israeli blockade aimed at pressuring Hamas.
Supplies remain stuck in warehouses in Egypt and Jordan, and bureaucratic hurdles continue to delay access.
UNICEF’s communications manager Tess Ingram, currently in Gaza, noted improved freedom of movement since the ceasefire but stressed that the volume of aid must increase to effectively serve the population.
Rebuilding Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure is a critical challenge.
Groundwater is highly saline and requires desalination, but many plants and water networks are damaged or out of service.
Most residents rely on water trucks distributing desalinated water, but these vehicles have suffered wear and tear after years operating in conflict zones.
Repairing groundwater wells and sanitation systems is essential to prevent disease outbreaks, yet progress depends on increased aid and supplies.
Additionally, destroyed roads and rubble complicate aid delivery and access to affected neighborhoods, with unexploded ordnance posing further risks.
The UN Development Programme estimates Gaza’s reconstruction will cost approximately $70 billion, with $20 billion needed in the next three years.
With winter approaching, humanitarian groups stress the urgent need for warm clothing, blankets, and shelter materials.
Although Gaza’s winters are generally mild, heavy rains and damaged housing exacerbate cold exposure risks.
Nine out of ten homes have been damaged or destroyed, forcing many to live in tents or partially ruined buildings.
Last winter, some children died from hypothermia, a preventable outcome with adequate supplies.
UNICEF aims to provide every child under ten with new winter clothes and shoes during the ceasefire, contingent on sufficient aid flow.
Aid workers call on all parties to uphold the ceasefire terms to ensure continued humanitarian access and support for Gaza’s vulnerable population.