Jerusalem: Severe shortages of essential goods continue to cripple daily life in Gaza, even as Israeli officials signaled on Wednesday that preparations are underway to temporarily open the Rafah crossing to allow limited movement into Egypt. The reopening expected to facilitate travel for medical emergencies and other humanitarian needs has no confirmed start time, but officials say it is meant to show progress toward a broader cease-fire arrangement.
While discussions on border access continue, the humanitarian crisis inside the enclave deepens. According to Adnan Abu Hasna, spokesperson for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), massive quantities of life-saving supplies have been stuck for months, unable to enter due to Israeli restrictions.
UNRWA currently has stockpiled food, medicines, and winter relief items including hundreds of thousands of tents, tarpaulins, blankets, and clothing. Despite repeated requests, Abu Hasna said, Israel has cleared only a small portion for entry, leaving residents without adequate shelter as winter weather takes hold.
Many families, he noted, are surviving in worn, damaged tents that offer little defense against cold winds, rain, or flooding. “We have waited six months for permission to bring in these supplies,” he said, warning that the situation is “critical” for nearly 1.5 million displaced Palestinians.
Aid agencies report that conditions have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks. UNRWA estimates that around 9,400 children are suffering from acute malnutrition, a figure expected to rise as food shortages deepen.
Gaza’s health system has almost completely collapsed, with hospitals lacking fuel, medicines, equipment, and staff. Contaminated water sources, worsened by winter rains and flooding, have triggered outbreaks of disease, adding strain to already overwhelmed medical facilities.
Last week, the United Nations issued a stark assessment of the conflict’s economic and social impact. According to the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), Israel’s military campaign has “fatally undermined every pillar of survival” for Gaza’s 2.3 million people, plunging them into “extreme, multidimensional impoverishment.”
The report estimates that rebuilding Gaza could cost more than $70 billion and take decades due to the scale of destruction.
Gaza’s economy, the agency found, contracted by 87% in 2023–2024. GDP per capita has tumbled to $161 among the lowest levels globally reflecting a near-total collapse of livelihoods, markets, and infrastructure.
As Israel considers allowing limited movement through the Rafah crossing, humanitarian agencies stress that symbolic gestures will not address the catastrophic conditions on the ground. Without unrestricted access to aid, they warn, Gaza’s crisis will continue to deepen, leaving millions trapped in worsening deprivation as winter sets in.