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UNITED NATIONS, Jan 30 (IPS) - On January 19, Israel and Hamas implemented a three-phase ceasefire agreement that seeks to end the war between Israel and Palestine, facilitate the exchange of prisoners and hostages between the two nations, and begin a period of reconstruction in the Gaza Strip. Since the ceasefire took effect, humanitarian organizations have struggled to assist hordes of displaced Palestinians as they made their treacherous returns back home. Insecurity has reached new peaks as Gazans struggle to cope with inadequate levels of humanitarian aid and the dangers of unexploded ordnance. Furthermore, the Israeli Knesset’s ban on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) is set to greatly exacerbate living conditions and access to aid.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) released a situational report on January 28 that detailed the current conditions in Gaza. It is estimated that since the ceasefire took effect, approximately 376,000 displaced people have safely returned to northern Gaza. Additionally, as of January 27, Israeli forces have evacuated the Netzarim corridor, which served as their main zone of occupation during the war.
The flow of humanitarian aid has significantly improved since the implementation of the ceasefire. Improved access conditions have allowed aid personnel to reach struggling Gazans and provide larger quantities of life-saving supplies. In a social media post shared to X (formerly known as Twitter), Corinne Fleischer, the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, stated that from January 20-24, the WFP had delivered more food to Gaza than in all of December 2024. WFP has also facilitated the operations of over 13 bakeries in Gaza, which were on the verge of shutting down in late December. These bakeries are now able to continue distributing free bread to civilians.
Additionally, the World Health Organization (WHO) delivered 70,000 litres of fuel to Gaza City, enabling 20 partially functional health facilities and ambulances to continue services. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) have facilitated the operation of multiple sewage pumps and water wells in northern Gaza. This is expected to provide immense relief following the complete collapse of water and sanitation systems in northern Gaza last year.
The UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS) also indicated that they have delivered nearly three million liters of fuel in Gaza, stating that the current supply of humanitarian aid delivered to the enclave marks a “ten-fold increase” from the deliveries pre-ceasefire. UNRWA has reported that they have supplied approximately 550,000 people with food parcels in the past few days, in addition to 370 pallets of essential medications. UNRWA-supported health facilities in Deir al-Balah, Nuseirat, and Al Mawasi and the Beach Health Centre in Gaza governorate have also resumed operations.
A key priority for humanitarian organizations has been the clearance of remnants from the war, including unexploded ordnance and rubble, which pose significant risks to the civilians of Gaza. According to a preliminary assessment from UN-Habitat and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), there are approximately 50,773,496 tonnes of debris in Gaza, which is 17 times more than the sum of debris generated by armed conflict in the enclave since 2008. On average, there are roughly 65 kilograms of debris for each square kilometre. UNEP also estimates that clearance efforts will take 20 years and cost nearly 909 million dollars.
“The level of destruction in the Gaza Strip is without precedent. We are dealing literally with a situation where most Gazans will return to either a heavily damaged building they cannot move back into or simply a pile of rubble ... But that rubble is still dangerous. Not only are there potentially bodies that have never been evacuated from there, there are also unexploded ordnance, landmines. It's a highly toxic environment,” said Achim Steiner, the chief of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).
On January 30, the Israeli Knesset’s ban on UNRWA is set to come into effect. The ban would prevent the agency from entering any access points in Gaza and the West Bank, which would essentially impede any relief missions conducted by the agency. UNRWA has been on the frontlines of this humanitarian crisis since the 1948 Palestinian War. The agency has provided over 300,000 Palestinian children with free primary or secondary education and 1.2 million Gazans with access to healthcare services. Overall, UNRWA has been the biggest provider of humanitarian services in Gaza.
“The ban would cripple the humanitarian response in Gaza and deprive millions of Palestine refugees of essential services in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. They would also eliminate a vocal witness to the countless horrors and injustices Palestinians have endured for decades,” said Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of UNRWA. Lazzarini added that the ban on UNRWA will “undermine” the ceasefire and “sabotage Gaza’s recovery and political transition”.
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