UNITED NATIONS, April 16 (Xinhua) -- While aid cargo is entering Gaza, restrictions on "dual-use" items, including equipment to dispose of unexploded ordnance, continue to constrain the relief response, UN humanitarians said Thursday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said limitations on the entry of items classified as dual-use or non-humanitarian remain a major obstacle, particularly for bomb clearing, demining and recovery efforts. Equipment required to clear unexploded ordnance has not been approved for entry, despite mounting risks to civilians and aid workers.
OCHA said UN teams collected fuel, food, medical supplies, clothing and other relief items on Wednesday from Gaza's two operational cargo crossings, Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Zikim.
Mine action partners said that the lack of clearance equipment is contributing to a growing safety crisis.
"Over a dozen accidents injuring more than 30 people have occurred so far in 2026," OCHA said. "Addressing that risk more meaningfully requires clearance to take critical equipment into Gaza and conduct the full range of disposal activities."
Last week alone, the office said mine action teams delivered explosive-ordnance-risk education sessions to more than 12,000 people in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis.
OCHA said that addressing the danger in a more meaningful way requires authorization to bring in specialized equipment and to carry out the full range of disposal activities. Without those tools, efforts remain limited to awareness raising rather than physical risk reduction.
Despite the constraints, other critical services continue, the office said. Partners responding to gender-based violence reported providing nearly 8,000 people with assistance, including mental health support, legal rights awareness, reproductive health services and protection against sexual exploitation and abuse. Aid agencies also distributed cash assistance and hygiene items to support the health and well-being of women and girls.
OCHA said there were renewed reports this week of Israeli strikes and shelling affecting residential areas, placing civilians at risk. On Saturday, two people, including a toddler, were reportedly wounded by gunfire when a UN school sheltering internally displaced people in Jabalya Camp was hit.
In the occupied West Bank, the number of people displaced from their homes continues to grow.
OCHA said about 150 people were displaced during the first two weeks of April alone, bringing the number of Palestinians displaced so far in 2026 to more than 2,500, including more than 1,100 children. Most displacements have been linked to settler violence and aid access restrictions, as well as home demolitions and evictions.
The office said, once again, that civilians and civilian facilities, including shelters, schools and humanitarian sites, must be protected at all times under international humanitarian law. ■
