Thousands break into aid warehouses in Gaza, a sign ‘civil order’ is collapsing, warns UN

Thousands of people broke into aid warehouses in Gaza to take food and “basic survival items,” a UN agency said on Sunday, and warned that “civil order” was starting to collapse.

The UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said it was a mark of growing desperation three weeks into the war between Israel and Gaza’s militant Hamas rulers in the war-torn Palestinian territory.

The agency said wheat, flour and other supplies had been pillaged at several warehouses.

“This is a worrying sign that civil order is starting to break down after three weeks of war and a tight siege,” said UNRWA’s Gaza chief Thomas White.

One of the warehouses in the central town of Deir al-Balah had been used to store supplies from humanitarian convoys that began crossing into Gaza from Egypt on October 21, it said.

“Thousands of people broke into several UNRWA warehouses and distribution centres in the middle and southern areas of the Gaza Strip, taking wheat flour and other basic survival items like hygiene supplies,” UNRWA said.

Israel says it will not prevent aid entering Gaza from Egypt

Aid supplies to Gaza have been choked since Israel began bombarding the densely-populated Palestinian enclave in response to a deadly attack by its ruling militant group Hamas on October 7.

“Supplies on the market are running out while the humanitarian aid coming into the Gaza Strip on trucks from Egypt is insufficient,” UNRWA said, adding that the current system to get humanitarian convoys into Gaza was “geared to fail”.

“The needs of the communities are immense, if only for basic survival, while the aid we receive is meagre and inconsistent.”

UNRWA has said that its ability to help people in Gaza has been completely stretched by air strikes that have killed more than 50 of its staff and restricted the movement of supplies.

Israel also imposed a total blockade on normal food, water, medicine and fuel deliveries into Gaza, with a first convoy of humanitarian aid entering only two weeks later.

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Over 100 trucks at Egypt’s Rafah crossing wait to deliver aid into besieged Gaza Strip

Over 100 trucks at Egypt’s Rafah crossing wait to deliver aid into besieged Gaza Strip

Since then, UNRWA says 84 aid trucks have crossed into Gaza but aid agencies say the numbers are far too low. Before the conflict, UN figures showed an average of 500 trucks a day entering Gaza.

“Supplies on the market are running out while the humanitarian aid coming into the Gaza Strip on trucks from Egypt is insufficient,” said White.

“The needs of the communities are immense, if only for basic survival, while the aid we receive is meagre and inconsistent,” said the UN official.

Meanwhile, communications were restored to many people in Gaza early on Sunday, according to local telecoms companies, internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org and confirmation on the ground.

Israel’s bombardment had knocked out most communications in the territory late on Friday, largely cutting off the besieged enclave’s 2.3 million people from the world.

Reporting by Reuters, Associated Press, Agence France-Presse