Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has expressed strong displeasure over the situation where thousands of tons of aid intended for starving Palestinians are currently stranded in a warehouse. Approximately 5,000 pallets, equivalent to 4,000 metric tonnes, containing essential items such as wheat flour, tinned goods, yeast, and sugar are currently stockpiled at a World Food Programme (WFP) storage facility near Amman, Jordan, due to restrictions imposed by Israel.
Officials have disclosed that there is adequate aid in Jordan to facilitate the transportation of 150 trucks into Gaza daily, operating five days a week, for a period of three months. However, the primary crossing from Jordan to the West Bank has been closed to goods vehicles by Israeli authorities. In an interview with the Mirror, Ms. Cooper emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that aid funded by the UK is being delayed in Jordan.
Ms. Cooper highlighted the significant impact of the aid, noting that the wheat alone stored in the warehouse could sustain 700,000 people for a month, emphasizing the critical need to expedite the delivery process to alleviate hunger in Gaza. Despite an increase in aid deliveries following the recent ceasefire between Hamas and Israel, the current levels fall short of the targets outlined in Donald Trump’s peace plan.
Ms. Cooper is actively engaging in diplomatic efforts to enhance aid distribution in Gaza, collaborating with the UN, other allies, and a US-led coordinating committee to devise strategies for ramping up aid distribution. Stressing the importance of swift action before winter sets in, Ms. Cooper underscored the necessity of providing shelter and essential supplies to over a million vulnerable individuals in Gaza.
Efforts are underway to streamline aid delivery through the Jordanian route, with plans to ensure the rapid distribution of aid to those in need. Musonda Kasonde from Unicef described the situation in Gaza as critical, emphasizing the urgent requirement for assistance, particularly with the approaching winter season. She urged for expedited access to facilitate the flow of essential resources to alleviate the dire conditions faced by the population.
