Winter supplies must enter the Gaza Strip where "lives are at stake", the UN and partners said in an urgent appeal on Friday, in the wake of deadly rainfall this past weekend.
"The devastating impact of the latest rainstorm in Gaza was preventable," the Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory said in a statement.
"Children and adults were killed, critical services suspended, and thousands of family shelters flooded, swept away, or torn apart - not by the storm alone, but by policy decisions."
The HCT brings together heads of UN agencies and international and local non-governmental organizations who recalled that several months ago they had presented a plan to help Palestinians prepare for the current winter season.
Plan to deliver
It outlined what they would deliver, such as shelter, improved health and protection services, drainage and sandbag reinforcement, and identified various supplies that need to enter Gaza.
These include tents, warm clothes and blankets as well as equipment for pumping water, removing debris and clearing explosive ordnance.
The plan also spelled out the need for sufficient funding, expedited entry of critical supplies and access to higher ground.
Their statement underlined Israel's obligation as the Occupying Power to ensure the basic needs of Gaza's population, including supplies essential for survival.
"Yet Israeli policies continue to obstruct the entry of critical items as well as access to most of Gaza's land, including areas away from the shoreline that are less prone to flooding," they said.
"Incoming supplies face multiple approval requirements, limited crossing capacity and unpredictable or narrow delivery windows that delay their entry."
'People cannot wait'
They noted that "although funding has fallen far short of what is needed", more than 150,000 tents are currently outside Gaza waiting to be dispatched. Meanwhile, needs inside the enclave are growing as every rainstorm destroys more tents, requiring more replacements.
"Winter will last for months. Access to longer-lasting shelter must not be made conditional on political progress when people's needs are so urgent," they said.
"Winter supplies must reach families immediately to prevent further loss of life and protect their dignity. People cannot wait."
They called on the Israeli authorities to expedite the entry of life-saving supplies in Gaza, lift restrictions and enable the repair of water and wastewater networks
"Let all humanitarian partners operate - UN agencies, international organizations, and Palestinian NGOs alike. Allow meaningful commercial activity," they said.
The partners also urged Member States "to use their influence to ensure these steps are taken swiftly and to provide the necessary humanitarian funding without delay", stressing that "lives are at stake."
