UN seeking all options to get aid into Gaza, including airdrops

TORONTO: The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday reiterated its need for more routes for humanitarian aid to get into Gaza as it seeks all other options including airdrops.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said the UN "ideally" prefers road as an option to move aid into Gaza, Anadolu Agency reported.

"Airdrops are extremely challenging but they are an option (for WFP) (World Food Programme). Ideally, we want to move things by road, we want more roads open, we want more entry points open," he said during his press briefing.

Dujarric further noted the necessity of enhanced coordination between member states on humanitarian operations.

On Tuesday, Egypt, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, France and Qatar carried out an operation to airdrop aid to Gaza.

Israel has imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

Israel has launched a war on the Gaza Strip on Oct 7. The ensuing Israeli bombardment has killed nearly 29,954 and injured over 70,000 with mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli onslaught has pushed 85 per cent of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60 per cent of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.

-- BERNAMA