UN and Red Cross Call for Opening All Gaza Crossings to Address Severe Humanitarian Crisis

Switzerland:

The United Nations and International Committee of the Red Cross jointly urged on Tuesday for the opening of all crossings into Gaza to facilitate the delivery of critical humanitarian aid to the devastated Palestinian territory.

The current fragile ceasefire in Gaza, implemented under US President Donald Trump's plan, necessitates the opening of all crossings to deliver substantial aid to the famine-stricken region.

"That's what humanitarians, including ICRC, have been calling for in the last hours is making sure that, because of the huge needs, all entry points can be open," stated Red Cross spokesperson Christian Cardon during a Geneva press briefing.

UN humanitarian agency OCHA's spokesman Jens Laerke reinforced this position, declaring: "We need all of them open."

Laerke acknowledged the challenges, noting that several crossings were not currently "functional" with some "partially destroyed," while internal road clearance operations were required within Gaza to facilitate truck movements.

"We are calling for that to be repaired so that they can become operational," he emphasized.

"We're advocating with everyone."

On August 22, the United Nations officially declared a famine in Gaza—the first in the Middle East—after experts warned that 500,000 people faced a "catastrophic" threat.

Israel has responded by accusing Hamas of deliberately creating a crisis and misappropriating humanitarian aid.

Laerke revealed on Tuesday that the UN currently has 190,000 metric tonnes of aid prepared and ready for immediate delivery into Gaza.