Devastated roads and lurking bombs hindering Gaza aid effort

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Distribution of supplies arriving is being curtailed by destroyed roads and the threat of unexploded ordnance.

Palestinians chase humanitarian aid trucks.

As part of the ceasefire agreement, Israel said it would allow 600 aid trucks into Gaza each day. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]

Published On 3 Feb 2025

Two weeks after the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel took effect, aid is flooding into the Gaza Strip.

The main UN food agency, the World Food Programme, said it distributed more food to Palestinians in Gaza during the first four days of the ceasefire than during any month of the war.

More than 32,000 tonnes of aid have gone into the enclave since the ceasefire took effect, entering through two crossings in the north and one in the south, the agency said last week.

Bakeries have been opened, the agencies report, and high-energy biscuits handed out, while Gaza’s police have returned to the streets to help restore order.

But humanitarian groups say aid distribution is complicated by destroyed or damaged roads, Israeli inspections and the threat of unexploded bombs, which litter the landscape.

The UN estimates that 5 to 10 percent of all ammunition Israel dropped on Gaza failed to detonate, making the territory perilous for both civilians and aid workers.

Infrastructure damage in Gaza hinders humanitarian aid distribution

Israel estimates that at least 4,200 trucks have entered each week since the ceasefire took hold. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]

Infrastructure damage in Gaza hinders humanitarian aid distribution

Humanitarian aid trucks enter through the Kerem Shalom crossing from Egypt into the Gaza Strip. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]

Infrastructure damage in Gaza hinders humanitarian aid distribution

Palestinians and aid workers say it’s still an uphill battle to ensure the assistance reaches everyone. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]

Infrastructure damage in Gaza hinders humanitarian aid distribution

People walk past trucks of humanitarian aid at a parking point in Cairo, Egypt, as they wait to travel to cross the Rafah border crossing. [Amr Nabil/AP Photo]

Infrastructure damage in Gaza hinders humanitarian aid distribution

Ahmed Qamar, 34, who returned to live in the ruins of his former home in Jabaliya, said his area has seen just a few dozen aid trucks. “Hundreds of families here are sleeping in the open and in the cold,” he said. “We need electricity and shelter; meanwhile markets are flooded with chocolate and cigarettes.” [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]

Infrastructure damage in Gaza hinders humanitarian aid distribution

Although aid workers say the Israeli inspection process has accelerated, getting certain types of aid into Gaza is still challenging. [Mariam Dagga/AP Photo]

Infrastructure damage in Gaza hinders humanitarian aid distribution

Some hospitals and desalination plants still have fuel shortages. Hamas has accused Israeli officials of obstructing the delivery of medical supplies and reconstruction machinery. [Jehad Alshrafi/AP Photo]

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