At the end of December, a joint UN convoy of nine trucks successfully reached people in Beit Hanoun, northern Gaza, who had been cut off from aid for over 75 days.

Images taken by UN staffers showed desperate residents rushing out from shelters to retrieve the bottled water, flour and canned food.

WFP has put in 101 requests to deliver food to areas in Gaza’s north governorate since the offensive began on 6 October: only three have been approved, including the 20 December convoy.

‘Raising the spectre of famine’

In a statement released on Monday, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warned that the “near-total siege” of the northern region is “raising the spectre of famine”, whilst conditions in extremely overcrowded South Gaza are creating “horrific living conditions and even greater humanitarian needs” as winter sets in.

Mr. Fletcher, who spent the last week visiting UN staff, partners and communities in several Middle Eastern countries, described Gaza as the most dangerous place in the world to deliver aid, in a year when more humanitarians have been killed than any on record.

An added concern is the breakdown of law and order, and the looting of UN supplies by armed gangs.

The military operation by Israeli forces in northern Gaza is ongoing. As well as severely limiting the delivery of food aid, the tightening siege has left up to 15,000 people without access to food, water, electricity or healthcare.

Mass casualty incidents continue to afflict the Strip.

According to media reports, at least 20 people were killed by Israeli airstrikes overnight, including in al-Mawasi, which is designated as a humanitarian zone, and the al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.