UN URGES OPENING OF MORE GAZA CROSSINGS

NEW YORK, April 2 (Bernama-WAM) -- The United Nations has once again urged the need to open more crossings into the Gaza Strip to enhance the movement of people and goods and expand the vital humanitarian response across the territory, Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported. 

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that reports from the field to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) indicate that UN staff and their partners continue to work to ensure the delivery of life-saving aid to the people of Gaza.

This is despite the significant pressure currently on the Karem Abu Salem crossing, which remains the only functional entry point for commercial goods into the Strip.

He noted that humanitarian workers on Wednesday transported more than 270,000 litres of fuel into Gaza to ensure the continuity of essential humanitarian services.

"Meanwhile, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has collected animal feed, while UNICEF has recovered more than 240 pallets of supplies, including food, medicine, hygiene kits, and clothing," he said.

The UN spokesperson also revealed that the FAO is increasing its cash assistance to an additional 1,000 farmers in Gaza to reactivate their local food crop production.

He added, "The assistance is based on a successful pilot project conducted by the programme last year, where 200 farmers were able to grow more than 500 metric tonnes of fresh vegetables, with support from the Occupied Palestinian Territory Humanitarian Fund."

The spokesperson explained that this increase in the volume of aid provided by the FAO to farmers in Gaza would enable them to feed approximately 95,000 people for an entire year.

-- BERNAMA-WAM