9 erring body care centers shut in Riyadh    20,000 military emblems confiscated in Riyadh    Al-Samaani visits headquarters of Hague Conference on Private International Law    KSrelief provided over $7bln to support children around the world    Al-Jasser: Saudi Arabia to expand rail network to over 8,000 km    OMODA&JAECOO: Unstoppable global cumulative sales over 360,000 units    Saudi Arabia sees 73.7% rise in investment licenses in Q3 2024    Al Hilal doesn't need extra support to bring new players, CEO says    Rust premieres at low-key film festival three years after shooting    Fate of Gaetz ethics report uncertain after congressional panel deadlocked    Ukraine fires UK-supplied Storm Shadow missiles at Russia for first time    Netanyahu offers $5 million and safe passage out of Gaza to anyone returning a hostage    Indian billionaire Gautam Adani indicted in New York on fraud charges    Rafael Nadal: Farewell to the 'King of Clay'    Indonesia shocks Saudi Arabia with 2-0 victory in AFC Asian Qualifiers    Sitting too much linked to heart disease –– even if you work out    Yemeni Orchestra's captivating performances in Riyadh, showcasing shared cultural legacies    Future of Ronaldo's Al Nassr contract remains undecided, says Saudi Pro League CEO    GASTAT report: 45.1% of Saudis are overweight    Denmark's Victoria Kjær Theilvig wins Miss Universe 2024    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Filipino pilgrim's incredible evolution from an enemy of Islam to its staunch advocate    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Gaza: UN welcomes Kerem Shalom border crossing announcement
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 16 - 12 - 2023

The UN Spokesperson has welcomed the announcement on Friday by the Israeli Cabinet that the Kerem Shalom border crossing into the Gaza Strip will be reopened.
Until the Hamas-led terror attacks of Oct. 7 and Israel's full-scale military response which has devastated much of the enclave, the crossing from Israel was the main route for commercial goods into Gaza.
Until now, limited humanitarian aid has only been allowed to pass through the Rafah crossing with Egypt, which serves mainly as a pedestrian crossing, although aid truck inspections have been taking place at Kerem Shalom, creating a complex and time-consuming route for lifesaving deliveries.
"The fast implementation of this agreement will increase the flow of aid", said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, adding that "a humanitarian ceasefire will increase the distribution of that aid across Gaza even more."
According to news reports, once details are finalized, aid will be offloaded on the Gaza side of Kerem Shalom.
Dujarric said that UN humanitarians with the aid coordination office OCHA have reported that much of Gaza on Friday remained flooded following heavy rains "compounding already extreme human suffering."
"There have been clashes, also according to OCHA, in the vicinity of Al Awda Hospital in Jabaliya in northern Gaza, with 250 doctors, patients and their family members reportedly trapped."
Internet services were restored after being down for several hours on Thursday, which severely impact the ability of emergency workers to do their jobs and cutting a vital communication route for hundreds of thousands.
The UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) reported on Friday that nearly 1.3 million displaced people are sheltering in 155 UNRWA installations.
"The average number of internally displaced people in UNRWA facilities, shelters, located in the middle and southern Gaza is 12,387, more than four times their capacity", said the UN spokesperson.
Eight out of 22 UNRWA health centers are still operational in the Middle and Southern parts of Gaza and UNRWA continued to provide healthcare to internally displaced people at shelters through 97 medical teams."
He added that each team is composed of just one to two doctors and a nurse while around 591 health workers in health centers and shelters provided support to some 12,000 patients.
Responding to a question at the regular noon briefing in New York on the announcement by commercial shipping giant Maersk that it was pausing the passage of ships through the Red Sea, in response to attacks by Houthi militia, Dujarric said the decision was "understandable".
The group whose militia control much of Yemen including the Red Sea coast, has vowed to target ships travelling to Israel along the key shipping route, in support of Hamas.
The company said in a statement the attacks were "alarming" and pose a "significant threat" to seafarers.
Two ships reportedly came under attack in the strait just on Friday – one hit by a drone and another by missiles.
The UN spokesperson said the decision illustrated the impact of the "continuing attacks" by the Houthis.
"Freedom of navigation is a bedrock of international law, it needs to be respected...That waterway is critical to the global economy and global commerce", he added. — UN News


Clic here to read the story from its source.