UN Urges Israel to Open Gaza Crossings Amid Food Security Concerns

Strategic Insights -

The United Nations (UN) has pressed Israel to open all crossings to Gaza, citing a 57,000-tonne stockpile of food aid that can feed the entire population for three months if access is granted. As the fragile ceasefire takes hold, the World Food Programme (WFP) has been bringing in an average of 560 tonnes of food per day, with five distribution points now operational. Aid agencies emphasize the need for sustained access and multiple crossings to ensure everyone in need receives aid, highlighting the current limitations in the north where roads are blocked and destroyed.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UN has enough food supplies to feed Gaza's entire population for three months, amounting to 57,000 tonnes stored in Egypt, Jordan, and Israel.
  • WFP is bringing in an average of 560 tonnes of food per day, with a goal of expanding to 145 distribution points across Gaza.
  • Only two crossings are currently open, restricting deliveries to the hardest-hit areas, with the northern crossings remaining closed.
  • Aid agencies stress the importance of sustained access and multiple crossings to reach everyone in need, as roads are blocked and destroyed, and access and security constraints hinder aid distribution.
  • The Hunger Chief Spokesperson for the UN, Tom Fletcher, joined the aid effort in Gaza, highlighting the UN's determination to deliver on a 60-day plan to scale up life-saving work.
  • UN Women Chief of Humanitarian Action, Sofia Calltorp, urged the international community to prioritize a recovery led by women and girls, with over one million women and girls in need of food aid and 250,000 requiring urgent nutrition support.

Statistics:

  • 57,000 tonnes of food are pre-positioned in Egypt, Jordan, and Israel to feed the entire population of Gaza for three months.
  • 560 tonnes of food are being brought into Gaza per day by the WFP.
  • WFP aims to increase the number of distribution points from five to 145 across Gaza.
  • 950 trucks entered Gaza on 16 October, including eight carrying fuel and three carrying gas, with around a third passing through UN-coordinated mechanisms.
  • 170,000 tonnes of food aid are planned to be scaled up to ensure at least three months of stocks.

Sources:

  • M2 PressWIRE (C)1994-2025, October 20, 2025, "UN urges opening of all Gaza crossings to deliver three-month food supply"
  • World Food Programme (WFP)
  • United Nations (UN)
  • UN Women