WHO: 'Children are dying of hunger in Gaza'

Harris and Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations (UN) Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), made assessments at the UN Geneva Office's weekly press briefing.

Drawing attention to the difficulties faced by children in Gaza, where humanitarian aid cannot be delivered, Harris pointed out that children under the age of 5 are unable to access food all day.

Harris said, "Is aid reaching the Gaza Strip? No. Children are dying of hunger."

Responding to a question regarding the collapse of the floating pier built by the US military off the coast of Gaza due to poor weather conditions and its impact on aid efforts, Laerke stated that he "did not want to comment too much" on it as it was not a UN operation.

'AID ARRIVING IS NOT REACHING PEOPLE'

Laerke stated, "The only way to get aid in at scale and speed is through land crossings. That is where we are having trouble, and we need more of these land crossings."

Emphasizing that the obligation to facilitate aid distribution does not end at the border under the "legal responsibility" of Israel as the occupying power, Laerke said, "The aid that is arriving is not reaching people, and this is a major problem. Gazans are absolutely not getting the amount of aid they desperately need to prevent famine."

Laerke noted that regarding the Israeli army's seizure of control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Palestine-Egypt border, military steps have no benefit for humanitarian aid.

'TO OPEN BORDER CROSSINGS...'

Responding to an AA reporter's question, "The floating pier built by the US to deliver aid to Gaza has broken apart and is currently non-functional. Some countries are still trying to deliver aid to Gaza by sea via Cyprus. You previously stated that the most effective way is by land. Don't you think it would be more effective for countries to pressure Israel to open border crossings, including Rafah, instead of insisting on the sea route?" Laerke replied as follows:

"It would be useful and effective for all countries to insist on full and unhindered access for humanitarian aid to Gaza. This can be by sea or by land. Before the opening of the maritime corridor for aid to Gaza, we asked countries to help with the humanitarian aid operation to build pressure on Israel to 'open more border crossings.' We have continued to do this to this day. Therefore, we are absolutely calling on the international community to use whatever influence they have over Israel's decisions."

Laerke stated that if countries use this influence, they hope to see many more aid convoys reaching the Gaza Strip by land.