Rafah: Two trucks carrying 1,600 sacks of flour from Humanitarian Care Malaysia (MyCARE) successfully entered Gaza through the Rafah border and were distributed to families earlier this week. MyCARE senior project manager Kamarul Halim Sakrani stated that each 25-kilogram sack was provided to 500 families, emphasizing the ongoing food shortages faced by residents despite the ceasefire.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Kamarul mentioned that the arrival of these trucks is vital in alleviating hunger as flour is a staple food in Gaza, has a long shelf life, and is easy to prepare. He further added that Israel has allowed only about 100 aid trucks into Gaza daily, which is significantly less than the 600 trucks initially agreed upon under the ceasefire terms.

MyCARE Gaza manager Dr. Zaid Shehada highlighted that although the situation has improved slightly since the ceasefire, numerous challenges persist. He noted that humanitarian needs remain high, with aid deliveries increasing but the quantity still falling short. Only about 750 tonnes of food enter Gaza daily, far from the target of 2,000 tonnes, and deliveries remain irregular.

Dr. Shehada also pointed out that the number of trucks is limited and the types of goods permitted are tightly controlled, leading to shortages of basic items at prices many families cannot afford. Earlier, five trucks carrying 40 tonnes of flour and 1,000 food packs, valued at RM360,000, were sent via Rafah on October 16 and distributed in temporary camps in Gaza City.

Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have reportedly resulted in the deaths of nearly 68,200 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, leaving much of the territory destroyed and uninhabitable.