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Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Geneva, October 21 (Xinhua) — The ceasefire in the Gaza Strip has allowed UN humanitarian agencies to provide food to more people, but greater access to the Palestinian enclave is needed to end the famine, said Abir Etefa, Senior Regional Communications Officer and Spokesperson for the UN World Food Programme (WFP), in Geneva on Tuesday.
As A. Etefa noted, since October 11, when the ceasefire began, WFP has delivered more than 6,700 metric tons of food to Gaza, enough to feed nearly half a million people for two weeks.
"Daily deliveries continue and currently average approximately 750 tonnes," she said, adding that this volume remains significantly below the WFP target of 2,000 tonnes per day. "Unless all entry points are operational, achieving this goal will be nearly impossible," the official emphasized.
Currently, only the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings in the southern Gaza Strip are open. Access to the northern part of the enclave, where a famine was declared in August, remains blocked by severe damage.
Ensuring access for large convoys into northern Gaza is a priority. "We have carried out extensive road clearing in the northern direction," said A. Etefa, "but we need to open other crossings to reach Gaza City, where the situation is particularly dire."
WFP is also assisting the most food-insecure households through digital payments, enabling approximately 140,000 people to purchase food locally, with plans to soon double the number of beneficiaries. A. Etefa emphasized that humanitarian aid alone cannot resolve the crisis, and commercial supplies must complement relief efforts.
Only a fully implemented and sustainable ceasefire can allow the WFP to operate at the required scale, concluded A. Etefa. –0–
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