United Nations staff reached families in the village of Qusra on Monday after days of confinement. The team delivered water, food and medicine, and brought games for the children. Engineers repaired the water supply and restored electricity to the houses. Neighbours had shared what little food remained. Aid workers described the visit as a first step. Three families, however, remain trapped inside their homes.
Conditions in Gaza remain far harder, where more than two million people now crowd into a shrinking area. Winter is approaching, and families need tents that cannot easily cross the border. Trucks wait for permission at crossing points. The agency estimates that four billion dollars would cover the most urgent needs. So far less than 40 percent of that sum has arrived. The agency keeps lists of the most fragile households. Officials warn that shelter delivered late helps far fewer people.