Aid Agencies: Shelter Supplies Still Blocked from Gaza Despite Israeli Pledge
UN and NGOs report no delivery approvals as over 1.3 million Palestinians remain without tents.
Gaza, PUREWILAYAH.COM – International aid groups say Israel is still blocking shelter materials from entering Gaza, despite promises last month that restrictions had been lifted.
Five organizations, including UN agencies, told Reuters that Israeli bureaucracy continues to halt deliveries. OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke said no shelter items have entered and that customs clearance remains a key obstacle.
CARE International, ShelterBox, and the Norwegian Refugee Council confirmed they have received no authorisations. The NRC said its request to deliver 3,000 tents is still unanswered.
At the Rafah crossing, Egyptian Red Crescent chief Amal Emam told CNN that a truck carrying WHO-provided ICU beds was rejected four times. She showed warehouses filled with blocked medical supplies, from oxygen tanks to essential medicines.
The UN estimates more than 1.3 million Palestinians are without tents. Displacement is expected to grow as Israeli forces push further into Gaza City.
Israel’s coordination body, COGAT, said materials could enter through Kerem Shalom after inspection. The Red Cross confirmed some authorisation via Jordan but admitted “many challenges” remain. CARE International said it has seen no sign of a policy shift.
Aid agencies also criticised new Israeli requirements forcing them to register and disclose data on Palestinian staff. ShelterBox’s regional director Haroon Altaf warned that limited permissions would cost lives.
“People are going to die because of it,” he said.
In Gaza, conditions worsen daily. Fifty-five-year-old Ibrahim Tabassi described life in his tent as unbearable under the summer heat. Others said they are still living in the same worn-out shelters they received months ago. (PW)
Source: The Cradle