THIRTY humanitarian organisations in Gaza have said that vital aid entering the region has reached a historic low amid Israel’s intensified siege.
In the latest Humanitarian Access Snapshot, data highlights severe shortages of essential supplies and the deaths of 20 aid workers within a month, which the international group Mercy Corps said emphasises the extreme risks to humanitarian operations.
The report outlined that the people in northern Gaza face starvation, severe shortages of clean water, critical supply scarcity, and ever-increasing desperation.
It also stated that Israel’s ongoing bombardment, siege, and evacuation orders are severely hampering aid distribution.
Between October 10 and November 13 Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 20 aid workers.
According to the report the staff were killed in displacement camps, at home, and while delivering life-saving assistance.
Israeli forces have killed aid workers in areas under evacuation, such as Jabalia and Beit Lahia, and in the Government of Israel-designated “humanitarian zone”, the report added that “nowhere is safe for Palestinians”.
Palestinian and international organizations reported that nearly all aid-delivery movements into and around northern Gaza between October 10 and November 13 were impeded, canceled, or delayed by Israeli authorities.
In a statement, Mercy Corps said the consequences of the restriction in aid delivery are catastrophic as Gaza’s humanitarian crisis continues to escalate.
“An urgent alert by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on November 8 indicated a strong likelihood that famine conditions are already present in northern Gaza, requiring immediate intervention,” it said.
“This is a preventable crisis.
“No one should starve to death when food is waiting to reach them mere miles away.”
In October, an average of only 37 humanitarian trucks per day entered Gaza, increasing to 69 trucks per day in early November.
The number of trucks entering the region is still far below the pre-October 2023 average of 500 daily trucks, which was already insufficient to meet the population's needs.
Mercy Corps has provided support to more than 190,000 people in Gaza, including emergency cash, food and hygiene kits, and psychosocial support.
The aid organisation has demanded that the Israeli government facilitates unrestricted aid access across Gaza to ensure the safety of all humanitarian personnel and to deliver much needed assistance.
The statement ended by saying: “We call on all those with influence and power to take urgent action: to de-escalate and halt the unrelenting violence in Gaza, to protect civilians and aid workers, and to do everything possible to achieve an immediate and lasting ceasefire.”
Mercy Corp's mission statement also says that despite the challenges, it remains committed to persevering in its efforts to provide life-saving assistance and to help rebuild lives and communities when a ceasefire is reached.
