UNITED NATIONS, Nov. 11 (Xinhua) -- The UN relief chief on Wednesday called for the immediate opening of all crossings to allow aid into flooded Gaza.
"No more delay. Open all the crossings, not just one," said UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher in a statement. "Let our vital NGO partners work. Allow the commercial markets to function. Stop this collective punishment. Fund the plan. End this predictable, preventable suffering."
For months, UN humanitarians have sounded the alarm about essential winter supplies for Gaza. But after being told repeatedly that progress would be hard until after Israeli elections, humanitarians are now told to wait for the formation of a government, he said.
"In case anyone has any doubt about international humanitarian law: this is not an acceptable excuse," said Fletcher.
UN humanitarians set out a clear plan weeks ago for the supplies that need to get in. This includes durable shelter, warm clothes, blankets, bedding and safe heating solutions. It also includes generators, fuel, engine oil, spare parts, equipment to pump out water, remove debris and clear explosive ordnance, he said.
Heavy rains over the weekend flooded vast areas of the Gaza Strip, killing several people.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said more than 150,000 tents purchased by humanitarian partners and UN member states are outside Gaza ready to be dispatched.
"Humanitarian funding and Israeli approvals are urgently needed so that enough supplies and machinery can be brought into Gaza," the office said. ■
