Access to life-saving assistance in Gaza continues to be obstructed, deepening an already catastrophic situation shaped by a prolonged genocidal war. International officials confirmed this week that multiple planned humanitarian movements were prevented from reaching key civilian sites, including critical water and sanitation facilities in the south of the territory. The restrictions have compounded damage to essential services, leaving communities exposed to disease, contamination and further displacement.

Out of several coordinated attempts to deliver aid and assess urgent needs, only a portion were allowed to proceed, while others were turned back. Where limited access was granted, teams were able to collect food supplies and medical equipment from crossing points and oversee the partial movement of relief items. Even so, humanitarian workers warn that these sporadic permissions fall far short of what is required to stabilise conditions for a population that has endured months of deprivation.

Despite a ceasefire announced late last year, daily life for civilians remains defined by scarcity and insecurity. Around two-thirds of Gaza’s population is still living in overcrowded displacement sites, many consisting of makeshift tents that offer little protection from winter weather and no privacy. While emergency distributions earlier this year provided basic shelter materials and clothing to tens of thousands of families, aid groups stress that temporary fixes cannot replace the need for unrestricted entry of construction materials and equipment to rebuild homes, clinics and water networks.

The scale of destruction is vast. Civilian infrastructure across Gaza has been systematically ruined, and the financial cost of reconstruction is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. Casualty figures continue to rise even after the ceasefire, reinforcing concerns that the humanitarian crisis is being sustained by ongoing restrictions and violence rather than alleviated. Without a decisive shift that allows full humanitarian access and reconstruction, officials warn that preventable suffering will continue on a massive scale.