Gaza's wait for food goes on as aid groups describe distribution 'nightmare'

Aid workers struggling to distribute a trickle of aid entering the besieged Gaza Strip are describing a logistical “nightmare” in the midst of a spiraling humanitarian crisis.

Aid workers struggling to distribute a trickle of aid entering the besieged Gaza Strip are describing a logistical “nightmare” in the midst of a spiraling humanitarian crisis.

“With this limited amount of aid, the humanitarian situation continues to get worse and worse,” Dr. Amjad Alshawa, director of the Palestinian NGOs Network, an umbrella group of Palestinian organizations, told NBC News on Wednesday. “At the same time, the Israelis are imposing restrictions on access to these supplies.”

A spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, said humanitarian workers were able to pick up at least 90 truckloads of aid Wednesday night — but it was unclear whether that aid had been distributed as of Thursday morning.

A malnourished 6-year-old girl and her mother at a shelter in central Gaza City, on May 11.Majdi Fathi / NurPhoto via Getty ImagesMeanwhile, NBC News’ crew on the ground described widespread frustration among Palestinians waiting to see whether more aid will flow into the enclave. Many charities have stopped or reduced their food offerings because of the scarcity of supplies and high cost of the rare goods available at markets.

After lifting its almost three-month-long blockade of the entry of food, medicine and other aid into Gaza, Israel has allowed a trickle of supplies into the enclave in recent days amid mounting international pressure. Aid groups say it has also imposed a new set of rules on bringing in supplies, which they blame for logistical snarl-ups and a delay in food and medicine reaching those who need it.