Although the Israeli Government announced on 25 March that all humanitarian food items would be allowed into Gaza, this has not yet been implemented. Inconsistent clearance criteria and thorough checks at crossings continue to cause delays.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza continues to be of serious concern. The UK Government monitor UN reporting closely and consistently lobby for unrestricted access for food and other humanitarian supplies into Gaza. We are funding the UN Logistics Cluster and the UN Access Support Team to help UN agencies and NGOs get aid into Gaza. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) provides up to date reports on the humanitarian situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, including on delivery of aid into Gaza. These are available on its website:
http://www.ochaopt.org/
The United Nations (UN) has recently reported that the difficulty in importing concrete and construction materials continues to hinder efforts to rebuild homes and essential infrastructure destroyed during the conflict. Meaningful reconstruction will not be possible while restrictions remain in place. The UN estimate the lack of spare parts for public infrastructure and industrial equipment, along with restrictions on the entry of cash and fuel, is preventing the implementation of almost all planned early recovery activities. They also report that procedures for approved humanitarian items into Gaza remain subject to unclear and often inconsistent criteria. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) makes regular reports of the humanitarian situation in Gaza available on its website:
http://www.ochaopt.org/