The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that funding for the humanitarian response in the occupied Palestinian territories remains a major challenge, adding that only 4% of the required funds have been secured.’The scale of the needs is staggering and unfortunately, so is the shortfall and funding’, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a press statement.He explained that the food security situation in Gaza is at risk of deterioration in light of the Israeli entity's closure of all crossings to humanitarian aid.’Food security partners are also distributing vegetable seeds and animal feed to support the restoration of local food production, but this, too, depends on a steady inflow of supplies,’ Dujarric added.’Education is another concern. Access restrictions are making it harder for schools to resume learning activities, given shortages of educational supplies in the markets.’Dujarric pointed out that some students have been able to return to school after displaced families vacated school buildings that had been used as shelters. However, those facilities lack proper furniture, clean water, functioning toilets and basic materials, such as paper and pencils.The Israeli occupation previously announced the suspension of all aid entry into the Gaza Strip, after the end of the first phase of the ceasefire agreement.
