UNITED NATIONS, May 30 (Xinhua) -- UN humanitarians on Friday described the situation in Gaza, beleaguered by airstrikes, malnutrition, displacement and a breakdown in public order, as catastrophic and the worst since the war began in October 2023.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said five truckloads of aid from the United Nations and its humanitarian partners were able to enter the Gaza Strip on Thursday, marking the first entry in the last four days. Another 60 trucks allowed out of the same checkpoint, the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing, had to return to the loading zone due to intense hostilities in the area.

The area around the crossing is one where a lot of armed gangs have been operating, notably in the No Man's Land, which is a few kilometers from the crossing, said Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. "The five trucks carried medical supplies, which were meant for the field hospital in Deir Al-Balah, and most of the supplies were looted today (Friday), very sadly and tragically."

OCHA said humanitarian needs have exploded in Gaza following nearly 80 days of Israel's total blockade of all supplies. The limited amounts of aid now entering the Gaza Strip are nowhere near sufficient to support 2.1 million people in the most desperate need of assistance since the war began.

It said the United Nations and its partners provide support for people in need, despite challenges on the ground and the crippling restrictions on the amount and type of assistance being allowed into Gaza.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, run by the United States and supported by Israel, continued its independent efforts in the strip. There are no reports on its operations from the United Nations.

OCHA said the last remaining partially functioning hospital, Al Awda, was forced to evacuate on Thursday after repeated strikes on and around the facility in recent days. Attacks also continued farther south in Deir al-Balah, in areas of Al Bureij and An Nuseirat camps.

The office said that one of the strikes earlier this week reportedly killed nine members of a journalist's family and injured 15 other people when their home was hit.

OCHA said an international aid organization known as IHH, running community kitchens and nutrition points in Gaza, reported on Wednesday that five of its workers had been killed and two injured in the previous two days. The office stressed that civilians, including aid workers, must always be protected.

The humanitarians said displacement continued across Gaza, with nearly 200,000 people displaced in the last two weeks alone. On Thursday, Israeli authorities issued a renewed displacement order covering about 30 percent of Gaza's total territory in North Gaza, eastern parts of Gaza City and Deir al-Balah.

Displacement orders have covered the entirety of the northernmost and southernmost governorates, as well as the eastern parts of each of the three governorates in between. However, OCHA said its partners report that the limited movement of people observed in recent days appears to be driven by the search for food and necessities rather than displacement orders.

The office said that in Gaza City, partners working to address shelter needs distributed 45 emergency shelter kits to families as part of a pilot initiative aimed at pooling resources to respond to some of the most critical needs.

As conditions on the ground further deteriorate and public order and safety break down, OCHA said looting incidents continue. A group of armed individuals stormed the warehouses of a field hospital in Deir al-Balah, looting large quantities of medical equipment, supplies, medicines and nutritional supplements intended for malnourished children.

"It is critical that those who stormed and looted the health facility be held accountable," the office said. "To meet humanitarian needs and help reduce looting, it is essential to get more aid and essential commercial goods into Gaza, and to facilitate their safe distribution across the strip. This means letting in far more critical supplies through multiple crossings and routes."

OCHA said that Israel, as the occupying power, bears the primary responsibility in Gaza for restoring public order and safety, which must be a top priority. The office suggests civilian police be allowed in the strip to operate under law enforcement standards.

"Criminal looting must be stopped decisively and through lawful means," the office said. "The humanitarian community reiterates the need for a full lifting of the blockade on Gaza and action to ensure that the root causes of widespread deprivation across the strip are addressed."

On the situation in the West Bank, OCHA said Israeli settler violence is on the rise. Settlers have injured more than 220 Palestinians, an average of 44 per month, and the highest rate in at least 20 years.

"As a result of such attacks and following the establishment of a fourth settlement outpost near their homes, the entire Palestinian Bedouin community of Maghayer ad Deir numbering some 120 people was forcibly displaced," the office said.

OCHA said Israeli-imposed movement restrictions across Salfit governorate in the northern West Bank continue to disrupt the access of nearly 90,000 people to health care, education and livelihoods. "This follows a nine-day operation by Israeli forces in Salfit. These restrictions have forced Palestinians to take long detours, increased transportation costs, and caused major disruptions to their daily lives."

Civilian needs must be met, including through ensuring safe and unimpeded access to critical services, it said. ■