UN agencies in Gaza confirmed on Thursday that desperately needed aid has finally arrived at warehouses inside the enclave after an 11-week blockade by Israeli authorities.
"Today will be crucial. Truckloads of lifesaving aid finally on move again," said top UN aid relief coordinator Tom Fletcher.
Hours earlier and in a major development, 198 trucks entered Gaza via the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south of the enclave, carrying nutrition supplies, medicines and wheat flour.
Announcing the news online , top UN aid relief coordinator Tom Fletcher reported that humanitarian organizations then retrieved "about 90 truckloads of goods" in a nighttime operation to prepare them for distribution.
But significant challenges remain "in loading and dispatching goods" Mr. Fletcher continued, citing security and looting concerns, "delays in coordination approvals and inappropriate routes being provided by Israeli forces that are not viable for the movement of cargo".
No commercial or humanitarian supplies have been allowed into Gaza since 2 March, deepening an already catastrophic hunger crisis and sparking widespread condemnation from the international community.
According to the UN World Health Organization ( WHO ) at least 57 children have reportedly died from the effects of malnutrition, according to the local health authorities. The number is likely an underestimate and is expected to increase if the aid blockade continues.
In their latest report, respected and UN-partnered food insecurity experts warned that nearly 71 000 children under the age of five are expected to be acutely malnourished over the next 11 months unless Gazans can access sufficient food and healthcare support.
