UN says Israeli aid restrictions hamper flood relief in Gaza
Floods have killed people and displaced families in Gaza, and the UN says aid shortages are slowing the response.
Israeli restrictions on aid entering Gaza are hampering flood relief efforts, the United Nations said on Monday, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
The floods have caused casualties, left people missing and displaced residents, and damaged property extensively, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for the UN secretary-general, said at a press conference in New York.
Haq said the restrictions are forcing humanitarian workers to operate with "wholly inadequate" equipment and shelter supplies.
Ramez Al-Akberov, deputy UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, called for the removal of all unnecessary restrictions and delays on water drainage pumps, heavy machinery, tents, tarpaulins, blankets and winter clothing, Haq said.
Haq said the first heavy rains of the year triggered the flooding, which was worsened by weak infrastructure.
He said an infant drowned in the floodwaters, and at least three children and one woman were killed when a sand dune collapsed onto tents housing displaced people.
Haq also pointed to ongoing Israeli attacks on residential areas in Gaza, which continue to cause casualties and hinder the work of UN humanitarian teams.
He said UN staff were forced to take cover last Saturday after gunfire near an area for displaced people west of the "yellow line" in Gaza City, though no injuries were reported among them.
Haq repeated the UN's call for the protection of civilians under international humanitarian law, and said more aid could enter Gaza if Israeli authorities allowed it.
Aid access into Gaza has been a recurring concern for UN agencies throughout the conflict there, and the organization has regularly called for fewer restrictions on supplies.
