SAFA- More than 900 physical barriers erected by Israeli occupation forces across the occupied West Bank (WB) are hindering humanitarian access, slowing aid deliveries, and obstructing vulnerable Palestinian communities from receiving vital assistance, the United Nations has reported.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement that the network of checkpoints, gates, roadblocks, and other access restrictions continues to obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid and limit access to essential services.

In the village of Qusra, south of Nablus, humanitarian and municipal workers have been unable to reach three Palestinian families who have reportedly been trapped in the area since Tuesday following the establishment of a settlement outpost near their homes and the tightening of access restrictions.

OCHA said UN humanitarian partners, working with municipal authorities, have attempted to deliver food, water, infant formula, medicines, and hygiene supplies to the stranded families, but the efforts have so far been unsuccessful.

The UN agency also warned that existing protection measures have failed to provide effective safeguards for Palestinians, citing reports that settlers had re-erected a tent that Israeli forces dismantled last Thursday.

In the northern West Bank, humanitarian conditions remain particularly difficult. Child-protection partners have provided critical assistance to around 30,000 children and 15,000 adults since the beginning of the year, including psychosocial support, case management, and services for children with disabilities.

OCHA reported that despite ongoing insecurity and harsh Israeli access restrictions, humanitarian workers in the Gaza Strip are still providing essential aid.

Over the past week, the UN and its humanitarian partners mobilized emergency assistance for Palestinians who lost their shelters or were displaced again following attacks, house fires, and other incidents.

Over 12 incidents involving attacks by Israeli settlers caused property damage and displacement, impacting about 290 families, according to OCHA.

Two additional families were displaced by house fires, which were often linked to unsafe cooking practices inside shelters amid severe shortages of adequate energy sources.

Another five families were affected by the placement of new yellow concrete blocks, which OCHA said frequently leads to displacement in Gaza because their installation signals an expansion of areas where Israeli forces restrict access.

The UN warned that continued insecurity and access restrictions are further complicating humanitarian operations and leaving vulnerable Palestinian communities without reliable access to essential aid and services.