Gaza: Humanitarian Aid

(asked on 4th December 2023) - View Source

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what estimate he has made of the number of lorries that need to pass through the Rafah border crossing each day in order to deliver sufficient humanitarian aid to people in Gaza.


Answered by
David Rutley Portrait
David Rutley
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
This question was answered on 11th December 2023

The flow of aid into and through Gaza continues to be insufficient and we are urgently exploring all diplomatic options to increase this, including urging Israel to open other existing land border crossings such as Kerem Shalom. Fuel remains a critical component, without sufficient aid, fuel cannot be distributed by humanitarian organisations and hospitals, bakeries as well as desalination plants cannot operate. We are also actively exploring other routes for aid to get into Gaza.

On 10 December, as of 22:00, 100 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies entered from Egypt into Gaza, the same volume as in most days since the resumption of hostilities on 1 December. This is well below the daily average of 500 truckloads (including fuel) that entered every working day prior to 7 October according to United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA). The UNOCHA has also reported on the 9 and 10 December, a daily average of 150,000 Lt of fuel entered Gaza from Egypt.

The UK Government has already announced £60 million in humanitarian funding since the crisis began and has sent more than 74 tonnes of emergency relief for civilians in Gaza. The shipments have included lifesaving items such as wound care packs, water filters and solar powered lights. Shipments have also provided shelter equipment such as 4,500 blankets and 4,500 sleeping mats, as well as vital equipment including forklift trucks, belt conveyors and lighting towers, specifically requested by UK partners in the region to manage and deliver aid more effectively.

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