'That will be a huge increase of the 40 to 50 that we have seen over the last month,' says spokesperson
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said the target is getting 500-600 aid trucks into Gaza per day once the cease-fire takes effect.
"The key process starts on Sunday, and the UN and part of us (WHO) are very much planning to prioritize as much as possible. The target is to get between 500 and 600 trucks in per day over the coming weeks... that will be a huge increase of the 40 to 50 what we have seen over the last month," Richard Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the West Bank and Gaza, said in response to Anadolu's question.
Calling that such an increase would be "enormous," Peeperkorn said WHO will try to do its level best to get the priority items in "as quickly as possible."
He voiced hope for roots to be expanded so that good can be brought to the North and the South of Gaza with the opening of closed border points.
The spokesperson also voiced concern about the security situation in the besieged enclave, saying it has to be addressed.
"It is critical that the significant security and political obstacles to delivering aid across Gaza are removed. We need rapid, unhindered, and safe access and expedited flow of aid into and across Gaza," he said.
The key priorities will be food, water, medical supplies, fuel, as well as generator repair parts for hospitals, he said.
"There are so many needs which can be never addressed and being prioritized right now ... and hopefully it will be," he said but also added that agencies should be careful raising too many expectations.
In a follow-up question on whether any change in aid flow and WHO missions happened since the announcement of the cease-fire deal, he answered the situation is "the same."
"Currently, the aid moving into Gaza has been slow," he said, urging that it "should definitely" change over the coming weeks.
On Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the success of mediators in reaching a cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip, noting that its implementation will begin this Sunday.
- Over $10B required for health system recovery
Peeperkorn also highlighted the devastating damage to the health system in the besieged enclave, urging a collaborative effort to meet the needs.
"Restoring the health system is a collective effort that must be guided by and executed in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, the health workforce, and partners. We need Palestinian-led solutions that work for Gaza," he said. "We urge donors and the global community to provide flexible funding, enabling swift and effective response to urgent and longer-term needs."
"Over $10 billion required to meet the needs of health system recovery," he underscored.
A conducive environment is required to achieve the humanitarian goals outlined in the cease-fire agreement, he noted.
He added that guaranteed, unrestricted, and safe access to deliver essential supplies via all channels and crossings, a free, safe, and unconditional movement for Gaza's population and humanitarian, active protection of health care and civilians, and an increased flow of aid is needed.
Additionally, he said, expedited visas for all international humanitarian staff with significantly longer durations, expedited medical evacuations for over 12,000 patients and their companions, lifted restrictions, and streamlined approval processes for the entry of essential items needed to repair vital infrastructure and restoration work of health facilities, road repair, rubble removal and the remediation of unexploded ordnance are required.
