With ceasefire accord, UN humanitarians step up aid action in Gaza

UNITED NATIONS - With the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas offering a ray of hope to millions of people in the Gaza Strip after nearly 15 months of devastating conflicts, UN aid agencies continue to provide assistance while mobilizing for a surge in relief deliveries.

The Gaza ceasefire agreement announced on Wednesday will take effect on Sunday, although some last-minute challenges have popped up, possibly threatening the effective date as hostilities continue.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Thursday it continues to receive reports of Palestinians killed due to the ongoing bombardment of Gaza.

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that it is standing by to bring food into Gaza.

"We have 80,000 tons of food waiting outside Gaza or on its way in," WFP said in a post on social media platform X, adding the food is enough to feed more than 1 million people for about three months.

"The ceasefire brings hope, but we need unrestricted movement of humanitarian teams and supplies to reach those in need," WFP said.

However, aid isn't only delivered in the form of food.

OCHA said the World Health Organization (WHO) and its partners facilitated the medical evacuation of 12 patients and nearly three dozen companions from the Gaza Strip. Most are suffering from cancer and immunological disorders, and they will receive treatment in Albania, France, Norway and Romania.

WHO said that as the ceasefire takes hold, more countries must step forward to receive additional patients for specialized treatment. More than 12,000 people are awaiting medical evacuation outside Gaza, where the health system has been shattered by more than 15 months of conflict.

The UN relief agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) reported that over 1,070 UNRWA health staff work in health centers, temporary clinics and medical points across Gaza, providing more than 16,000 health consultations daily.

The office said UNRWA's medical teams also ensure specialized support for patients. On Jan. 11 alone, they provided care for nearly 1,100 pregnant and post-natal women at high risk, dental and oral health services for almost 600 patients, and physiotherapy for more than 300 patients.

Alleging UNRWA is infiltrated with members of Hamas, Israel passed a law barring the agency from operating in Gaza effective the end of this month. Spokespersons for the United Nations have repeatedly said that UNRWA, employing 30,000 people in the region, will continue to provide aid in the strip and that the world body is not planning to withdraw.