A high-level United Nations delegation visited Al-Arish and the Rafah border crossing on Monday to oversee preparations for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza following the recent ceasefire. The delegation included the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt, the Head of the OCHA Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa in Cairo, the Chief of the UNRWA Representative Office in Cairo, and representatives from the World Food Programme. The UN reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the people of Gaza. "It is a core mandate of the United Nations to support people in need," said Elena Panova, the UN Resident Coordinator in Egypt. "Collaboration is underway with the Government of Egypt, the Egyptian Red Crescent, and the Governor of North Sinai to support the delivery of essential humanitarian aid, with a commitment to sustained on-the-ground coordination and support." Panova added, "As the humanitarian situation is at catastrophic levels inside Gaza, [the] ceasefire is a golden opportunity to ease the tremendous suffering of this conflict through bolstering aid delivery into Gaza from all possible routes to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches the people who need it most." Since October 2023, the Egyptian Red Crescent Society (ERCS) has coordinated aid delivery through the Rafah border crossing and Kerem Shalom. The UN in Egypt is working with the ERCS, local authorities, and international partners to increase aid readiness. Humanitarian supplies entering Gaza through Egypt are sourced both locally and internationally. Supplies arrive via Egypt's seaports and airports, then are transported to Al-Arish for screening, inspections, and coordination at the ERCS logistical hub before being dispatched to Gaza.
