Social Development Minister: Scarce relief aid is allowed entry to Gaza

RAMALLAH: Relief aid allowed entry into the blockaded Gaza Strip is scarce, according to Social Development Minister Samah Hamad. Speaking to Palestine radio, Hamad said that coordination was underway with partners, particularly the Red Crescent Society, to distribute relief aid across the northern, southern and central districts of the Strip. She added that the relief aid that reaches the northern Strip is scarce, as while 30 to 35 truckloads of relief aid are allowed entry to the Strip via the Rafah border crossing, only six truckloads make their way to the Ministry, and considered this quantity insufficient. She pointed out that while the majority of relief aid that reach the Strip is in-kind, the warehouses designed to store such aid were expanded and an agreement was reached with CSOs on the storage and distribution mechanism to ensure reach to the largest number of Palestinians and distributional justice. She also pointed out that intensive meetings were held with the UNICEF and other international actors to secure financial aid given the problem of the availability of cash/liquidity in banks in Gaza. Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA