Gaza, MINA – Forty humanitarian organizations have accused Israel of obstructing vital aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip through the introduction of a new registration system for international NGOs, leaving tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian supplies stranded outside the enclave.
According to a report by the Financial Times on Friday, the groups, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Oxfam, People in Need, and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) stated that Israel had denied 99 requests to deliver aid to Gaza during the first 12 days of the ceasefire.
The organizations said that three-quarters of these refusals were justified by Israeli authorities on the grounds that the NGOs were “not authorized” to deliver assistance, despite many having operated in Gaza for years.
In March, Israel introduced new regulations requiring humanitarian groups working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank to re-register with Israeli authorities by the end of the year or risk losing their operating licenses.
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“We’re now in a stalemate,” said Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council. “When we request to bring in aid, Israeli authorities respond that our registration is under review, and therefore we are not approved to deliver supplies.”
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that winter shelter materials sufficient for one million people remain stuck in warehouses and have been barred from entering Gaza.
Meanwhile, Khan Yunis mayor and deputy head of the Union of Gaza Strip Municipalities, Aladdin al-Batta, warned that thousands of displaced Palestinians are living in unsafe, deteriorating tents that offer no protection from harsh weather conditions.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Batta described the dire situation in displacement camps, where residents lack access to basic services such as clean water and sanitation. He added that official figures show 93 percent of Gaza’s tents are no longer suitable for habitation.[]
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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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