Speaking at the regular news briefing in New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said that even four days into the announced pauses, \u201cwe are still seeing casualties among those seeking aid and more deaths due to hunger and malnutrition.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added that parents are \u201cstruggling to save their starving children\u201d and warned that the current conditions for aid delivery are \u201cfar from sufficient\u201d.<\/p>\n
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA<\/a>) said that while it is using every available window to deliver supplies during the unilateral pauses, the scale of need vastly outpaces what is getting through.<\/p>\n \u201cA permanent ceasefire is needed more than ever,\u201d Mr. Haq said, emphasising that \u201cunilateral tactical pauses alone do not allow for the continuous flow of supplies required to meet immense needs levels in Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n Access a major hurdle<\/p>\n Access remains one of the biggest hurdles.<\/p>\n Entry through the Kerem Shalom\/Karem Abu Salem crossing requires multiple layers of approval from Israeli authorities, including safe passage, cessation of bombardment and the literal opening of locked gates.<\/p>\n \u201cYesterday, three facilitated missions allowed our staff to collect cargo containing food from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings and allowed for fuel to be transferred within Gaza,\u201d Mr. Haq said.<\/p>\n \u201cHowever, the others faced impediments, particularly delays in receiving the green light to move by the Israeli authorities, and one had to be cancelled.\u201d<\/p>\n Extreme hunger haunts children<\/p>\n The situation was echoed by Ricardo Pires, UNICEF<\/a>\u2019s communication manager, who returned from Gaza this week.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s absolutely apocalyptic,\u201d he told UN News. \u201cChildren are being injured and killed while trying to get food and aid while suffering from malnutrition and hunger.\u201d<\/p>\n