More than 90 percent of housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past 15 months, OCHA said.
UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians said on Tuesday a surge of humanitarian aid continues to enter the Gaza Strip, with leading priorities including healthcare, food, water, and shelter, as well as opening bakeries and aiding family reunifications.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the office and its partners visiting the Jabalya camp in North Gaza governorate found people creating makeshift shelters in the middle of the rubble.
"There is also a critical lack of access to water, with all wells destroyed, and the risk of unexploded ordnance remains high," OCHA said. "We and our humanitarian partners are mobilizing for food and emergency shelter support."
With the ceasefire in place, many displaced Palestinians returning to the site of their homes found mountains of rubble.
"According to our partners working on the shelter response, more than 90 percent of housing units in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed over the past 15 months," OCHA said. "Given the scale of destruction and needs in Gaza, we are working to get vital aid to people as fast as humanly possible."
The office also urged UN member states and partners to ensure that aid operations are funded to meet the overwhelming needs.
When asked if there was an increase in aid trucks getting into Gaza, Farhan Haq, deputy spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters that 915 trucks crossed into Gaza on Monday, based on information received through the Israeli authorities and the guarantors for the ceasefire agreement.
On the West Bank, OCHA said it is highly concerned about the safety and wellbeing of Palestinians in Jenin city and Jenin refugee camp, where Israeli forces conducted an operation.
According to initial reports, air strikes, heavy bulldozing and the operation of undercover forces have resulted in several fatalities and dozens of injuries, including among medical personnel, OCHA said. "Lethal, war-like tactics -- including air strikes -- are being applied repeatedly during these operations in the West Bank, raising concerns over the use of force that exceeds law enforcement standards."
The latest Israeli operation in the Jenin refugee camp follows weeks of clashes there between Palestinian forces and armed Palestinians.
The office said the UN relief agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) reported that, as of last week, about 2,000 families had been displaced from the camp during the inter-Palestinian clashes.
OCHA said the world body and its humanitarian partners distributed mattresses and blankets to those displaced in the operation earlier this month. Humanitarians could not safely and reliably access the area because of hostilities. ■