As Palestinian civilians face a mounting hunger crisis, an official with the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) suboffice emphasized the urgent need for road access to alleviate starvation, particularly in the northern strip.
Georgios Petropoulos, head of OCHA's suboffice in Gaza, said he welcomes US President Joe Biden's expected announcement on US plans to establish a port in Gaza for humanitarian aid. But he underscored the necessity of prioritizing road infrastructure to address acute hunger levels effectively.
“Any kind of maritime corridor would be good. But I think we have to be clear that roads are going to be the only solution for the mount in acuteness of hunger that we now have, especially in north Gaza,” Petropoulos said during an interview with CNN from the southernmost city of Rafah.
As the health ministry in Gaza says at least 20 people have died due to malnutrition and dehydration, Petropoulos cited a lack of access to clean water in northern Gaza and a non-dependable system for aid delivery.
Petropoulos highlighted that from February 24 to March 3, fewer than 1,000 trucks entered Gaza, far below the estimated 500 that are needed daily. Regarding access challenges, Petropoulos pointed to bureaucratic delays, inefficiencies at checkpoints and lack of support for aid missions.