The United Nations has halted its food distribution in Rafah due to supply shortages and lack of security. According to a Tagesschau report, supplies in this southern city of the Gaza Strip have run out.
For the past two days, no relief goods transporters have arrived via a makeshift port established by the US.
The UN World Food Program (WFP) has expressed concerns that the $320 million port project might fail if safe working conditions for aid groups are not ensured by Israel.
WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa announced that the organization had halted its distribution efforts in Rafah after depleting its supplies.
Although the WFP continues distributing a limited number of reduced food parcels in central Gaza, these supplies are expected to run out within a few days.
Etefa warned that famine-like conditions will spread unless the supply of food and other relief supplies is resumed in large quantities.
Truck Deliveries Intercepted
Stéphane Dujarric, a UN spokesman, revealed that although 16 trucks departed from the US-constructed pier off Gaza’s coast last Saturday, 11 failed to reach their destination.
Locals intercepted the trucks and seized the supplies en route.
Since then, no new trucks have reached the floating pier. In response, the WFP is reassessing its logistics and security protocols and exploring alternative delivery routes within Gaza.
Egypt Blocks Aid Deliveries
The transport of aid supplies via Egypt has also come to a standstill. According to media reports, Egypt is holding back humanitarian aid deliveries because of Israel's actions in Rafah.
The border crossing through which aid previously reached Gaza is closed after the Israeli army took over.
Egypt insists that deliveries cannot resume until the Palestinian side of the crossing is back under Palestinian control.
The US tried to persuade Cairo to transport the aid supplies accumulated in Egypt to Gaza via the Israeli Kerem Shalom crossing.
However, according to Politico, Egypt has stopped all deliveries through this crossing point. After the Israelis took over the Palestinian side of the Rafah border crossing, the Egyptians did not want to appear as their accomplices.
