The United Nations has reported a sharp decline in humanitarian aid reaching Gaza, with current levels at their lowest in months. UN deputy spokesman Farhan Haq shared on Friday that key crossings into northern Gaza have been shut down since 1 October, preventing essential supplies like food from entering. More than 400,000 people who remain in the region are facing intense pressure to relocate to the south amid ongoing military offensives by Israel. Haq described the situation as dire across northern Gaza, where the entire territory is struggling with growing insecurity.

For months, the UN has raised concerns over the challenges of delivering aid to Gaza. These challenges include restrictions caused by ongoing military operations and attacks on humanitarian workers. Limited access through border crossings, coupled with delays and refusals by Israeli authorities to grant clearance for aid convoys, have only compounded the difficulty of providing relief to those in need.

Last month, UN independent expert Michael Fakhri accused Israel of engaging in a ‘starvation campaign’ against Palestinians during the conflict, a charge Israel has denied. Israel, through COGAT, the military body overseeing aid distribution in Gaza, insists it has allowed substantial amounts of aid into the region. However, Israel’s UN mission has yet to respond to the latest reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.