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Even if the Rafah crossing from Egypt opens soon, humanitarian organizations confront significant challenges delivering aid to Gaza City, the area hardest impacted by food shortages, according to experts.

Infrastructure Issues

Major routes are almost impassable due to extensive devastation across the war-torn region – or remain controlled by military units. Any transport that breaks down is probably will be instantly looted.

Zikim, the main entry point to the northern region, destroyed during multiple years of fighting, has been inactive for several weeks, and government representatives have notified aid groups in Gaza that there are no immediate plans to activate the crossing, according to humanitarian staff.

Destruction in Northern Gaza

Gaza City was the objective of a significant armed campaign launched in August that was ongoing when the ceasefire deal was agreed upon last week.

Devastation in the north has been extensive, with entire towns including urban centers and neighboring towns in devastated as well as many of the peripheral zones of the main city.

"Any activation of a access route into Gaza is welcome, but we need to make sure we can reach people where they are," commented an experienced official from a relief agency.

Aid Situation

Observers said many of the estimated 300,000 people who have returned to the northern region from the overcrowded coastal zone where they had been staying during the Israeli offensive were now "living" among the ruins of their homes, often without any protection and with scarce food or water.

An official from a UN agency said the devastation in northern Gaza was "overwhelming".

"It is neighborhood after neighborhood, home after home ... there is extreme need for drinking water. It's pretty harrowing. We must have every border point operational," the official, who was in Gaza City recently, added.

Insufficient Access

A local director working from Gaza City said the necessities in what used to be the region's thriving business and cultural hub were "immense".

"We see this optimism and faith but there needs to be quick improvement on the crossings. We haven't seen any significant change on the ground yet," the official stated.

"We continue to receive a small quantity of assistance [and] we are just beginning to understand the level of damage. So many streets are completely covered in debris ... there is hardly any residence that is secure. There remains harm and live explosives across the region."

Current Changes

In recent days, humanitarian organizations said modest volumes of necessary propane came into Gaza for the initial occasion in seven months, along with deliveries of flour, grains and farm products. The recent deliveries sent prices in markets tumbling.

In the central town, a community member said there had been some improvement since the truce.

"Commercial areas are stocked with supplies, vegetables, and fruits, although the prices are still high and not attainable for the entire population," the individual stated.

Cold Season Requirements

"The primary requirements now, especially with the arrival of winter, are to have a tent to keep us safe from the cold and warm garments because the stores do not have adequate garments for us or, if they are available, they are extremely limited and extremely pricey."

Multiple organization-assisted food preparation facilities in central and southern Gaza have restarted operations since the truce.

Aid Delivery

Vehicles were stated to have passed via the Kerem Shalom crossing via the eastern border to Gaza during Wednesday, though precise counts were unknown.

The nation's public broadcaster announced that recent aid deliveries would include nutritional supplies, medical supplies, energy sources, propane and equipment to fix vital infrastructure.

"Assistance resources remains flowing to the conflict region through the Kerem Shalom crossing and other crossings after security checks," an government spokesperson commented.

Distribution Problems

But counting the number of trucks could be deceptive, advised an expert from an international NGO. "It's crucial to understand the contents of the trucks and how full they are for it to be a truly significant metric," the expert stated.

Commercial operators are sending convoys of trucks loaded with sweets, soft drinks and light food, which have poor dietary quality, while critical care for young people or individuals who have been without sufficient nutrition for multiple years are unavailable.

Treatment Situation

Throughout the main city, only few medical centers are operating, compared with 45 in summer.

Numerous organizations have significant funding in assistance materials warehoused near the territory waiting to go in. A UN agency assisting Palestinians across the area for a long time has extended provisions of nutrition for the entire population ready to be delivered.

"We maintain the supplies, the equipment and the expertise ... we only require the access," said one aid worker, recently returned from Gaza.

Political Aspects

A diplomatic framework details that "full" support should reach Gaza and be provided through the UN and the Red Crescent, without interference from both armed factions or state authorities.

This appears to exclude the controversial Israel-backed relief agency which began operations in earlier this year, resulting in disorderly situations and hundreds of deaths as crowds of aid-seekers assembled around its assistance centers.

Aid officials in Gaza {told|informed