UN outlines humanitarian response plan during potential Gaza ceasefire, and conditions required

Arab News

5 days ago

NEW YORK CITY: The UN has outlined a comprehensive plan to scale up humanitarian aid for Gaza should a ceasefire or pause in hostilities be agreed. However, it warned that the current conditions on the ground pose major obstacles that must be addressed to make such a response feasible.
The plan, designed for an initial 30-day period but extendable depending on conditions, emphasizes the urgent need to address life-saving needs across the territory, in which the population continues to suffer the effects of what aid organizations describe as a looming famine.
The document identifies 11 major barriers to the effective delivery of aid, ranging from threats to aid workers and logistical delays to bureaucratic restrictions and damage to roads.
Among the most urgent concerns is the threat to the safety of humanitarian staff and facilities. Escalating hostilities near humanitarian routes and designated convoy areas have severely constrained movement and delivery capacities.
At the same time, the collapse of the civilian police force has contributed to widespread insecurity, particularly at border crossings and along aid routes, which are increasingly vulnerable to looting and interference by armed gangs.
Aid convoys face significant delays as they regularly have to await approval from the Israeli army, only to be denied access after hours of waiting. This wastes time that is critical to the aid response, and ties up resources that could be used elsewhere. In southern Gaza, a single round trip to deliver supplies can take up to 20 hours.
The poor state of telecommunications compounds these issues, with local networks frequently down, satellite phones jammed, and outdated radio systems hindering coordination.
Efforts to deliver aid are undermined by the large, desperate crowds of people that intercept trucks and seize supplies before they can reach distribution points. Many of the routes approved by Israeli authorities are deemed unsafe or impractical, as they pass through heavily congested or gang-controlled areas.
Additionally, the UN reports severe shortages of warehouse space and logistical equipment such as armored vehicles, protective gear and spare parts, items that are often denied entry by Israeli authorities.
The state of the transport network poses challenges, with nearly 70 percent of roads damaged, and overcrowding in southern governorates further impedes movement.
Supply lines remain unpredictable, with crossing points from Israel, Egypt, the West Bank and Jordan frequently closed or operating on inconsistent schedules. The absence of a centralized UN-run logistics hub at key crossings complicates the management of customs and cargo.
Fuel shipments are funneled almost exclusively through Kerem Shalom in Israel, leaving northern Gaza dependent on unreliable coordinated transfers, and the latest Israeli regulations require all humanitarian deliveries of fuel to be managed by a single private company.
Meanwhile, the closure of the border-crossing at Rafah has left international aid workers with limited options to rotate in and out of Gaza, and Israeli authorities are increasingly denying entry altogether.
The UN said these constraints must be resolved if a scaled-up humanitarian operation is to proceed, and proposed a series of actions to be taken before and during any ceasefire agreement. These include efforts to ensure the safety of aid workers and their facilities, the clarification of buffer zones to avoid any accidental targeting of humanitarians, and the reactivation of civilian police in some areas.
To address the threat of looting, humanitarian organizations might request security escorts in accordance with humanitarian principles. In addition, UN monitors need to be granted access to all border crossings and distribution points to ensure effective tracking and oversight.
The UN also called on Israeli authorities to expedite the deployment of essential equipment in Gaza, including satellite-communication devices, armored vehicles, power generators and prefabricated housing for staff. The resumption of telecommunications services across Gaza would be necessary for the coordination of operations, and approval for the use of tools to clear unexploded ordnance is required to ensure the safety of aid convoys.
Civilians must be allowed to move freely throughout the territory without fear of harassment, detention or violence. Israeli army checkpoints, particularly on Salah Al-Din road, need to be removed or rendered nonobstructive, and any agreed troop-withdrawal zones must be clearly marked with visible barriers to protect civilians.
In addition, humanitarian operations would require all relevant border crossings to operate at full capacity, including at weekends. The UN requested that authorities in Egypt and Jordan be allowed to send trucks directly into Gaza to offload goods, and a reduction in interference by Israeli army personnel while determining the contents of aid convoys, to speed up deliveries.
Within Gaza, key roads such as the coastal route and Salah Al-Din must be repaired and remain open from dawn to dusk. Heavy machinery and materials need to be brought in to support the reconstruction of roads, and any unexploded ordnance along main routes must be cleared.
Efforts to revive the private sector in Gaza are also considered essential, as humanitarian aid alone cannot sustain the population. Of the 600 trucks a day needed to meet basic needs, the UN estimates that 350 should carry commercial goods, 150 would contain supplies from the UN and nongovernmental organizations, and 100 would be allocated to bilateral or Red Crescent donations.
The UN stressed that aid must be able to reach all areas of Gaza, based on population size, and that fuel deliveries to the north, which are frequently denied, must be approved consistently. A larger share of deliveries will be monitored by safeguarding and protection teams to ensure equitable and safe distribution, particularly to the most vulnerable populations.
Furthermore, restrictions on key humanitarian items must be lifted. These include assistive devices, vehicle parts, medical supplies, sanitation tools and solar energy systems for health facilities and water infrastructure.
To meet the needs of hospitals, water systems and other critical infrastructure, at least 265,000 liters of diesel and 13,000 liters of benzene would be required each day. Electricity feeder lines should be reactivated immediately, and repairs to Gaza's power plant and grid infrastructure need to be supported. Deliveries of cooking gas must also be allowed to both the north and south of the territory.
Meanwhile, dozens of UN and NGO employees who are awaiting visas so that they can provide support for operations in Gaza from Jerusalem must be granted entry, along with international medical and humanitarian personnel.
If these conditions are met, the UN plans to implement a broad humanitarian response, starting with the scaling-up of food assistance across the territory. This would include daily shipments of food and fresh ingredients, support for bakeries and kitchens preparing hot meals, and
specialized food aid for children, pregnant women and the elderly. Humanitarian partners would also work to reestablish the commercial food trade to supplement UN deliveries.
Health services would be expanded, with six hospitals, two field hospitals, and eight primary health centers resupplied and reopened. At least 150 patients a week would be referred to facilities outside of Gaza for urgent treatment, and new emergency medical teams would be deployed. Mental health and trauma services would also be strengthened.
Water and sanitation services, which currently reach only 20 percent of the population, would be scaled up to serve at least 80 percent. The UN plan includes the delivery of hygiene kits, fuel, chlorine and equipment to improve WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) services in communities and at displacement centers.
Malnutrition, particularly among children under the age of 5 and pregnant or lactating women, has reached alarming levels. The UN said it intends to launch emergency nutrition protocols, including the establishment of stabilization centers and targeted food distribution. With predictable access and sufficient partner capacities, the UN estimates that 98 percent of the target population could be reached within a month.
Finally, shelter assistance would be expanded to cover 200,000 displaced individuals through the distribution of tents, sealing kits, winter items and household essentials, prioritizing those who are living in makeshift or self-settled camps.
UN officials stressed that while their plan is technically feasible, success will depend entirely on the creation of a secure, cooperative and enabling environment. Without that, they warned, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is likely to deteriorate further, putting millions of lives at risk.