West Bank14 August, 20262 min read
UN Says Israeli Occupation Authorities Impose 900 Obstacles Delaying Aid to West Bank Families
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UN says aid access stalled by more than 900 obstacles in the West Bank. Obstacles include checkpoints, gates, and roadblocks, according to UN/OCHA.
5 outlets told this the same way.
Aid blocked by 900 obstacles
The UN said aid operations in the occupied West Bank are being delayed and limited by a network of over 900 “physical obstacles” imposed by Israeli occupation authorities, including checkpoints, gates, roadblocks and other restrictions. UN Associate Spokesperson Daniela Gross told journalists in New York that the obstacles are restricting humanitarian access to three Palestinian families in Qusra village near Nablus, who have been trapped since Tuesday.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said UN partners and municipal staff have been trying to deliver food, water, milk formula, medicines and hygiene items to the families, but the efforts have not yet been successful. In the northern West Bank, the UN said the humanitarian situation “remains particularly severe,” with child protection partners providing psychosocial support, case management, and services for children with disabilities to nearly 30,000 children and 15,000 adults since the beginning of this year.
Qusra families trapped
Humanitarian and municipal workers on Friday were struggling to secure access to the three Palestinian families in Qusra village near Nablus after a settlement was established next to their homes and access restrictions tightened. The UN human rights office, OHCHR, previously warned that “time is running out” before the families are forcibly displaced, as UN partners continued attempts to deliver essential supplies without success.
Gross said UN colleagues warn that efforts to protect Palestinians have been ineffective, with settlers reportedly reinstalling a tent that Israeli forces had dismantled yesterday. WAFA reported that UN partners are trying to deliver food, water, baby formula, medicine, and hygiene supplies to those trapped inside, but “these efforts have not yet been successful.”
Gaza displacement and summer learning
Alongside the West Bank access restrictions, the UN said humanitarians in the Gaza Strip continue to provide vital aid despite persistent insecurity and restrictions. The UN reported that during the past week, more than a dozen incidents linked to attacks affected nearly 290 households, while two households were affected by domestic fires tied to unsafe cooking inside shelters due to the lack of adequate energy sources.
Another five households were affected by the placement of new yellow cement blocks, which the UN said often signal expanded areas where access is restricted and can trigger further displacement. As of last week, the UN said more than 300,000 children in Gaza continued to participate in summer learning programmes supported by UN partners, and that these organizations installed shade structures in 10 temporary learning spaces to address the extreme heat in the Strip.