(MENAFN) The United Nations cautioned on Wednesday that humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip is being obstructed due to the closure of border crossings by Israel, even as families relocate to regions that have become reachable since the ceasefire that began on October 10.

Referring to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Farhan Haq shared at a press briefing that "since the ceasefire took effect more than 10 days ago, the UN and its partners have made progress in scaling up response efforts in Gaza, especially in central and southern areas of the Strip."

He emphasized that "the continued closure of the Zikim and Erez crossings, which provide direct access to the north, make it extremely challenging for humanitarians to reach people there with vital support at the scale needed."

Since the ceasefire, over 425,000 movements have been recorded from the southern to northern parts of the Strip, Haq noted.

Displaced individuals have taken refuge in locations such as Jabaliya and two schools in Beit Lahiya, which were previously inaccessible due to Israeli military actions.

Regarding aid distribution, Haq mentioned that out of 10 UN-coordinated humanitarian missions inside Gaza on Monday, six were successfully facilitated, including "the collection of water tanks, hygiene kits and fuel from the crossings into Gaza."

He added, "Today, we managed to collect several tankers of fuel and hundreds of pallets of baby diapers."

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