UN warns Gaza aid delivery still too slow as US eyes peace plan vote

UNITED NATIONS: Despite some progress in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, the United Nations warns that the territory remains in urgent need of assistance following the October 10 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Since the ceasefire, the UN and its partners have delivered 37,000 metric tonnes of aid, mostly food, but the scale of need far outpaces what has been provided, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters Friday.

“Despite significant progress on the humanitarian scale-up, people’s urgent needs are still immense, with impediments not being lifted quickly enough since the ceasefire,” Haq said, citing reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Access to Gaza remains severely restricted, with only two crossing points open and no direct routes to northern Gaza from Israel or southern Gaza from Egypt. Non-governmental organization staff continue to face access denials, further slowing aid delivery.

Earlier this week, the UN reported distributing food parcels to one million people in Gaza since the ceasefire but stressed that efforts to save lives remain urgent.

The World Food Programme (WFP) urged all crossings to be opened to meet the needs of the famine-hit territory, noting that northern crossings with Israel remain closed without explanation.

The WFP aims to reach 1.6 million people with food parcels that provide a family with enough food for 10 days.

The current ceasefire followed a US-brokered 20-point peace plan, and Washington is now considering a vote to formalize the agreement, a move that could shape the future of humanitarian and diplomatic efforts in the region.