UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarian partners warn that aid work is being delayed and restricted in the West Bank by a network of over 900 physical obstacles, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Friday.
The obstacles, including checkpoints, gates, roadblocks and other restrictions, hinder humanitarian access and leave people in need underserved, said OCHA.
Partners have been unable to deliver critical supplies for a fourth day to three Palestinian families in a West Bank village affected by an Israeli settler blockade, said the office.
"Today (Friday), aid and municipal workers have been struggling to secure access to three Palestinian families in Qusra village of the Nablus governorate. These families have been trapped there since Tuesday, following the establishment of a settlement outpost next to their homes and the tightening of access restrictions in the area," it said.
Along with municipal workers, partners have been trying to deliver food, water, infant formula, medicines and hygiene items to those trapped inside. But these attempts have been unsuccessful, said OCHA.
The office said its partners reported that efforts to protect Palestinians have been ineffective. Settlers reportedly reinstalled a tent that Israeli forces had dismantled.
In the northern West Bank, OCHA said, the humanitarian situation remains particularly severe. Child protection partners have provided vital assistance, including psychosocial support, case management, and services for children with disabilities, to nearly 30,000 children and 15,000 adults since the start of this year.
In Gaza, humanitarians are delivering vital aid despite persistent insecurity and restrictions, said OCHA.
Last week, the United Nations and its partners mobilized rapid support for people who had lost their shelters or were displaced again due to attacks, domestic fires and other incidents.
"In more than a dozen reported incidents, people were displaced and lost their belongings due to attacks, affecting nearly 290 households," OCHA said. "Two households were affected by domestic fires, often linked to unsafe cooking in shelters in the absence of proper energy sources."
Partners reported that more than 300,000 children participated in summer learning programs that they support. To address the impact of extreme heat in Gaza, education partners installed shade structures in 10 temporary learning spaces, said OCHA. ■
