In the past 24 hours, more than 376,000 displaced Palestinians have returned to northern Gaza, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). After 15 months of relentless bombardment, the region is in ruins, making the return of families an unbearable ordeal.

Among those making the perilous journey on foot are pregnant and breastfeeding women, elderly individuals, people with disabilities, chronically ill patients in urgent need of medical care, and unaccompanied minors. Yet, what awaits them is a wasteland of destruction.

"There are 42 million tonnes of rubble that must be cleared, requiring specialised equipment," explains Clémence Laguarda, head of operations in Gaza for Oxfam, speaking to RFI. "There is also a significant risk of unexploded ordnance and other remnants of war." In the midst of the devastation, even access to clean water remains a dire challenge. "Some water points are operational, and aid groups are trying to provide water through tankers and distribution points, but the system itself is in ruins. The network has been largely destroyed," she adds.

Despite the immense difficulties, humanitarian aid is reaching the north. "Since the ceasefire, the number of aid trucks entering northern Gaza has increased, with around 300 trucks per day. However, unlike in the south, aid reaching the north remains strictly emergency relief. Essential equipment needed to rehabilitate water and electricity infrastructure is still not allowed in," Laguarda laments.

The situation remains dire, with nearly 80% of electricity infrastructure destroyed, leaving Gaza’s displaced population in darkness, struggling to survive amid the ruins of their former homes.