A top United Nations official warned of delays to Gaza aid due to the "apocalyptic" conditions in the southern parts of the war-torn region as the conflict between Israel and the Hamas militant group rages.
The UN emergency relief coordinator, Martin Griffiths said that the Israeli military campaign in southern Gaza has been just as devastating as in the north. He noted that the situation ended any possibility of meaningful humanitarian operations in the region.
Gaza Aid Delayed
Griffiths said that he was speaking on behalf of the entire international aid community when he said that the offensive robbed air workers of any significant means of assisting the people of Gaza, which number roughly 2.3 million, other than to call for an immediate ceasefire.
The UN official's comments came as the Israeli military said that it attacked southern Gaza's main city in the most intense day of fighting so far. Officials noted that hospitals have struggled to cope with scores of dead and wounded Palestinians, as per The Guardian.
During an interview, Griffiths said that the small amount of aid that was being allowed into Gaza could no longer be distributed due to Israel's ground offensive spreading to the southern parts of the region.
He added that it was no longer a statistically significant operation, noting that it was like patching a wound. Griffiths said there is an illusion that the world thinks the humanitarian operation can help Gaza under current conditions.
The development comes as the Israel Defense Force (IDF) launched a ground offensive into the northern parts of Gaza on Oct. 27. This came almost three weeks after the Hamas militant group attacked the Middle Eastern country on Oct. 7, killing more than 1,200 Israelis.
The situation comes as US aid chief Samantha Power traveled to Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Tuesday. There, she announced more than $21 million in additional aid for the Palestinian people who are being affected by the war between Israel and Hamas, according to Reuters.
Power arrived in Al Arish, bringing a delivery of 36,000 pounds of food assistance and medical supplies. These were airlifted by the Department of Defense from Jordan and are intended to be delivered to Gaza.
UN Warns of Conditions in War-Torn Region
The additional aid that the USAID administrator announced will support the provision of hygiene and shelter supplies, food, and other assistance for Gaza residents and people in the West Bank.
The funds are also meant to support psychosocial care and critical health services, along with the establishment of an NGO-operated field hospital in the war-torn region that would provide in-patient care.
The continuation of the conflict between the two sides began after the deterioration of a ceasefire where Israel and Hamas exchanged prisoners. Out of the roughly 240 individuals taken by the militant group, dozens were released with the help of the agreement.
Gaza health authorities claim that more than 15,000 people have so far been killed in the region since Oct. 7. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNWRA, echoed humanitarians' concerns for civilians caught in the war. It noted that in Rafah city, people were being forced to flee against a backdrop of airstrikes, said UN News.
