Gaza Strip - Recent

Humanitarian groups and residents in the Gaza Strip are calling for more aid into the region as the besieged enclave has been facing a critical shortage of food and medical supplies due to Israel's continuous restrictions on the entry of aid.

The UN Relief Agency for Palestinians, known as UNRWA, said more than 1 million people in Gaza will not get enough food this month as trucks loaded with fresh vegetables and meat are held up at Israeli checkpoints.

With continued restrictions and tardy Israeli procedures at the crossings, thousands of food parcels and large quantities of medical supplies remain stuck as trucks are unable to enter from Egypt, thereby deepening the humanitarian crisis involving displaced Palestinians.

Mazen Al-Qassas, one of the Palestinians displaced from the north of Gaza to the south, lost his restaurant, which was his livelihood, and his home, as they were destroyed.

Al-Qassas said he and his six children are in dire need of food parcels to stay alive, just like thousands of other displaced people.

The International Committee of the Red Cross in Gaza, which coordinates the entry and delivery of food and medical aid to large parts of the region, faces extremely difficult challenges as the flow of aid continues to decline, worsening the humanitarian situation in Gaza, according to officials from the organization.

International relief group personnel also face life-threatening risks as conflict is further prolonged. Since October last year when the conflict broke out, more than 280 aid workers, the majority of them staff members of the UNRWA, have been killed in Gaza alone, according to UN figures.

Shotlist:
Gaza Strip - Recent:
1. Various of tents, displaced people at refugee camp;
2. Various of parked trucks, traffic moving on dirt road;
3. Various of refugee Mazen Al-Qassas with his families, speaking;
4. SOUNDBITE (Arabic, dubbed with English) Mazen Al-Qassas, refugee:
"We are waiting for the United Nations and UNRWA to provide us with aid. Since we were displaced from Rafah to Khan Younis four months ago, the food packages provided to us have almost run out. Our situation here is getting worse day by day.";
5. Various of people, traffic at outdoor market;
6. Flag of International Committee of Red Cross;
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Hisham Muhanna, spokesperson, International Committee of Red Cross in Gaza:
"The urgent call from the International Committee of the Red Cross is that humanitarian aid, unimpeded, rapid and immediate, is needed now more than ever in Gaza, especially now that we are approaching another winter, and that's going to be another tragedy for the civilian population, especially those who are displaced in both the northern and southern Gaza Strip.";
8. Various of tents, displace people at refugee camp.

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