{"id":305,"date":"2025-01-17T11:05:13","date_gmt":"2025-01-17T11:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/?p=305"},"modified":"2025-01-17T11:21:55","modified_gmt":"2025-01-17T11:21:55","slug":"gaza-seven-big-issues-affecting-the-delivery-of-humanitarian-aid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/2025\/01\/17\/gaza-seven-big-issues-affecting-the-delivery-of-humanitarian-aid\/","title":{"rendered":"Gaza: seven big issues affecting the delivery of humanitarian aid"},"content":{"rendered":"

If the new Israel-Hamas deal holds and their ceasefire begins on Sunday, the first stage<\/a> includes a commitment to allow more humanitarian aid into the besieged territory. Announcing the deal to the US public, the outgoing president Joe Biden said<\/a> the deal would \u201csurge much-needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians\u201d.<\/p>\n

And not before time \u2013 the humanitarian situation in Gaza is now catastrophic. Since late 2024, humanitarian organisations have warned of an imminent famine<\/a> due to the severely restricted commercial and humanitarian food supply flows. There is little healthcare provision<\/a>. Hospitals are destroyed, medical supplies depleted and healthcare workers overwhelmed.<\/p>\n

The agreed influx of 600 trucks per day<\/a> is much needed, but there are many hurdles to overcome. As UN agencies and humanitarian organisations prepare to scale up their operations, here are seven issues they will face.<\/p>\n

1. Access<\/h2>\n

In the first two weeks of 2025, there was only one day when more than 100 trucks of supplies<\/a> crossed into Gaza. Humanitarian organisations see access restrictions<\/a> as the main reason for the limited flow of aid. For a \u201csurge\u201d to happen, better access to Gaza is essential.<\/p>\n

There are physical access constraints. Only a few border crossings<\/a> are open. They operate at limited capacity as procedures of scanning and transferring cargo can be slow and cumbersome. Access to the north of Gaza<\/a> has been especially difficult. The deal allows access to the north but does not permit movement between north and south.<\/p>\n

There are also bureaucratic hurdles. Obtaining permits and approvals<\/a> from Israeli authorities takes time. Even with the correct paperwork, shipments are frequently turned back<\/a> at the border in what many feel is an arbitrary manner.<\/p>\n

One hope is that the Rafah border crossing<\/a> to Egypt, closed since being taken over by Israeli forces in May 2024<\/a> could be reopened. Work is reportedly underway<\/a> to repair and reopen the crossing. In stage one, no cargo traffic is expected to be permitted, but it is unclear how Rafah will be used at this stage.<\/p>\n

2. International humanitarian law<\/h2>\n

Civilians and humanitarian workers are protected under international humanitarian law<\/a>. But in Gaza, Israel has frequently hit areas it designated as humanitarian zones<\/a> for civilians to stay safe.<\/p>\n

Well over 300 aid workers<\/a> have been killed in Gaza during this conflict. This constant danger hampers humanitarian operations.<\/p>\n

In April 2024, seven workers of the charity World Central Kitchen were killed<\/a>, when Israel attacked their convoy from the air. Earlier, Israeli forces killed over 100 people<\/a> who had gathered to collect flour. International humanitarian law has to be respected to enable organisations to distribute aid and make it safe for those in need to receive it.<\/p>\n

3. Law and order<\/h2>\n

Lawlessness is a big concern. Public order is breaking down as Hamas authorities cannot prevent<\/a> desperate people from looting food supplies. Violent gangs<\/a> are targeting humanitarian convoys. Aid agencies have even paused their deliveries<\/a> through certain border crossings in response to their trucks being looted.<\/p>\n

US secretary of state, Antony Blinken, has proposed an international security force<\/a> of troops and police to stabilise post-war Gaza. At this stage, such a plan is not part of the ceasefire agreement.<\/p>\n

Ensuring the wide availability of commercial and humanitarian goods should discourage looting, but to enable humanitarian assistance to reach those in need there has to be a plan to restore law and order in Gaza.<\/p>\n

4. Fuel<\/h2>\n

The deal requires 600 aid trucks per day to be allowed into Gaza, including 50 carrying fuel<\/a>. This is important to allow the aid to be brought in from border crossings and enable its distribution.<\/p>\n

Fuel shortages have a particularly serious impact on healthcare and sanitation. Much of the power in Gaza is now provided by diesel generators. In hospitals<\/a>, essential equipment like ventilators rely on adequate supplies of fuel. Fuel is also necessary<\/a> to operate sewage and fresh water networks. Water-borne diseases<\/a> are already a concern and fuel shortages exacerbate these problems.<\/p>\n

Households have very limited access to fuel for cooking and heating. Assessments show<\/a> that many families have gone from cooking with gas to buying firewood, to scavenging wood \u2013 and now to burning solid waste such as plastic.<\/p>\n

5. Local capacity<\/h2>\n

Outside aid is not a sustainable way forward for Gaza. Increasingly, humanitarians embrace localisation<\/a>, empowering local responders and strengthening local capacity to promote long-term sustainability.<\/p>\n

Unrwa<\/a> (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency) is the largest UN organisation in Gaza. Its large local workforce makes it a key player in the humanitarian response.<\/p>\n

However, Israeli laws due to come into effect at the end of January will ban contact between Unrwa and Israeli authorities. This will make it impossible to negotiate safe movement<\/a>. Details released so far do not clarify Unrwa\u2019s position under the ceasefire deal.<\/p>\n

Local capacity building should enable and expand local food production and selling. Gaza currently produces little food. As of March 2024, 40% of land<\/a> previously used for food production had been destroyed.<\/p>\n

With many fishing boats destroyed<\/a> and fishers being targeted offshore, this source of food has also been diminished. Many shops are unable to restock<\/a>.<\/p>\n

6. Infrastructure<\/h2>\n

The destruction of infrastructure<\/a> is hindering the distribution of aid. More than two-thirds<\/a> of the road network has been damaged.<\/p>\n

Given the amount of goods supposed to enter per day, warehouses are important. In December, only 25% of humanitarian warehouses<\/a> in Gaza were operational, with the majority damaged or destroyed. Bringing in mobile warehouses is necessary to help facilitate the expected influx of aid.<\/p>\n

It will take many years to clear the millions of tons of rubble<\/a> left behind from this war. The road network needs to be repaired to enable the flow of goods and people.<\/p>\n

Before any of this can happen, unexploded ordnance and explosives need to be cleared<\/a>. All movements of people and goods will be at risk of death and injury<\/a> from these remnants of war for the foreseeable future.<\/p>\n

7. Sustained peace<\/h2>\n

To be able to address these issues, a sustained peace is vital. There will be no quick solutions to alleviate the suffering of the people of Gaza.<\/p>\n

Humanitarians are ready<\/a> to provide immediate assistance as soon as possible. But they face a very challenging environment and their operations can only be successful if the ceasefire holds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Writer:<\/em>
\nSarah Schiffling<\/strong>, Deputy Director of the HUMLOG (Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management Research) Institute, Hanken School of Economics<\/em><\/p>\n

The text was originally published in The Conversation 16 January 2025<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If the new Israel-Hamas deal holds and their ceasefire begins on Sunday, the first stage includes a commitment to allow more humanitarian aid into the besieged territory. Announcing the deal […]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":34,"featured_media":310,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-305","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/34"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=305"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":309,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/305\/revisions\/309"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.hanken.fi\/research\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}