More than 545,000 Palestinians are estimated to have crossed from southern Gaza to northern Gaza in the past week since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect, said the United Nations.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Monday that the UN and its humanitarian partners also report that over 36,000 people have been observed moving from northern Gaza to the south during the same period.
In North Gaza, UN partners said three temporary sites that have been established in Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and Jabalya, each capable of holding 5,000 people.
As more humanitarian aid enters Gaza and the ceasefire continues to hold, Dujarric said UN partners report that prices have started to fall, though they remain about pre-conflict levels.
“One-third of households reportedly have better access to food, but consumption remains significantly below levels prior to the escalation of hostilities,” he said. “For most households, the primary obstacle is just lack of cash.”
Meanwhile, UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher arrived Monday for a weeklong visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Dujarric said.
He is expected to visit the West Bank and Gaza Strip and meet with senior officials to see first-hand “and get a better understanding of the obstacles facing aid partners, and also look at how to best and improve our humanitarian operations.”
