UN, partners urge Israel to lift restrictions on aid into Gaza

The UN and its humanitarian partners have called on Israel to lift restrictions on aid deliveries to Gaza, warning that deadly rainstorms have killed children and adults, destroyed shelters and flooded thousands of family tents. More than 150,000 tents remain outside Gaza, ready for dispatch, as restrictions on supplies and access continue to hamper winter preparations, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In a statement, the Humanitarian Country Team, comprising UN agencies and humanitarian organisations operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said the devastation caused by the rainstorms was preventable. Humanitarian partners had presented a winter preparedness plan months ago, but restrictions on supplies and access, alongside funding shortfalls, had hampered its implementation. The Team urged Israel to lift restrictions, enable repairs to water and wastewater networks, and allow all humanitarian partners to operate. The appeal follows a statement earlier this week by Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, who warned that delays, restrictions and funding cuts were putting lives at risk. The Humanitarian Country Team also urged member states to use their influence to remove obstacles to aid deliveries and provide urgently needed funding. OCHA said more than 150,000 tents remain outside Gaza, ready for dispatch, as restrictions on supplies and access continue to hamper winter preparations. (AFP)