UN Calls for Opening All Gaza Crossings to Deliver Vital Food Aid

UN News — People stand in the shadows of destroyed buildings in the Gaza Strip.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that food aid cannot reach everyone in Gaza unless all border crossings are opened—particularly in the north, where famine was declared in August.

The agency said it already has enough supplies in place to feed the entire population of the Strip for three months, provided Israel grants full access.

One week into the fragile ceasefire, WFP has been delivering an average of 560 tonnes of food each day.

“The ceasefire deal has opened a narrow window of opportunity, and WFP is moving very quickly to scale up food assistance and reach families who have endured months of blockade, displacement and hunger,” said Abeer Etefa, WFP Senior Regional Communications Officer and Spokesperson for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe.

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Ms. Etefa said that teams and supply networks were fully mobilised.

Five distribution points now open

“We’re still below what we need, but we’re getting there,” she noted. Five food distribution points are now operating across Gaza, focusing on women and children. “Our goal is to expand to 145 distribution points across all of Gaza—that’s the scale we’re aiming for,” she added.

Aid agencies stress that sustained access and multiple crossings are essential to reach everyone in need. Only two crossings are currently open, while those in the north remain closed, restricting deliveries to the hardest-hit areas.

“Roads are blocked and destroyed. This is a huge limitation to transport,” Ms. Etefa said.

Because of access and security constraints, no food distributions have yet taken place in Gaza City—only nutrition supplies for children and pregnant or breastfeeding women have been delivered.

Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said the northern crossings remain closed “because the Israeli authorities have not opened them.”

He added that road repairs and the clearance of unexploded ordnance are also essential for safety and access. “It is very important to have these openings in the north, as that is where the famine took hold,” he said.

170,000-tonne aid scale-up

According to WFP, 57,000 tonnes of food are already pre-positioned in Egypt, Jordan and inside Israel, with plans to scale up to 170,000 tonnes—enough for 1.6 million people over three months. “Beyond that, we need to maintain at least three months of stocks at all times,” Ms. Etefa said.

On 16 October, 950 trucks entered Gaza, including eight carrying fuel and three carrying gas, according to OCHA. Around one-third of them passed through UN-coordinated mechanisms.