According to aid organizations, the humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic. At the weekend, the German Red Cross wants to bring more aid supplies to the border with Gaza in Egypt. But the handover is a complex process.
The next plane with relief supplies is scheduled to take off for Egypt on Sunday. On board: urgently needed aid supplies for the Gaza Strip. Now in the wet, cold winter, what people need most is shelter. The majority of the population is fleeing the Israeli attacks and cannot return to the bombed-out houses.
The German Red Cross has packed urgently needed materials, says the responsible department manager Christof Johnen: “Tents, tarpaulins, accommodation materials, tools – that is the main delivery. Plus some logistical equipment. And so-called rescue backpacks.”
“Most hospitals are out of service”
The plane carrying relief supplies lands in Egypt, on the edge of the desert. A small airport near al-Arish has become a kind of hub. Relief goods from Europe or the Gulf States are received here. The airport is only a few kilometers from the Gaza Strip. The local partner organization for the German Red Cross is the Red Crescent.
Employees from the United Arab Emirates receive the goods and also help set up field hospitals. “Most hospitals are out of service. Therefore, local hospitals are very important for emergency care. God willing, this will certainly help,” says Mohamed al-Kaabi.
Israel inspects goods
The problem: The goods first have to pass through the nearby border crossing. And that is difficult, says Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the UN refugee agency for the Palestinians (UNRWA): “The aid deliveries that come via Egypt first have to go to the Israeli inspection, then back to Egypt. That takes time. This inspection has to take a lot happen faster so that more trucks can make it to Gaza.”
“People are starving”
When the goods are finally on their way, there are new difficulties. Especially if it’s something to eat. “People come, take things and often eat them on the spot. These people are starving,” says Touma. But of course the goods must be distributed in an orderly manner to everyone in need. That’s exactly why it’s important to create safe corridors – and that can only be achieved with another humanitarian ceasefire, said Tourna.
Christof Johnen from the German Red Cross also says: “There must be de-escalation, the safe distribution of aid must be guaranteed, the safe access of aid must be ensured and the safety of those helping must also be ensured.” But a humanitarian ceasefire does not currently appear to be in sight.
Nina Amin, ARD Cairo, tagesschau, January 5th, 2024 12:48 p.m