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Even if the Rafah crossing with Egypt starts functioning in the coming days, humanitarian organizations encounter major obstacles distributing aid to northern Gaza, the area worst hit by hunger, specialists report.

Transportation Issues

Primary highways are virtually unusable due to extensive devastation across the war-torn region – or remain occupied by military units. Any transport that breaks down is probably will be quickly plundered.

Zikim, the main entry point to the north, devastated by two years of fighting, has been closed for several weeks, and authorities have notified aid groups in Gaza that there are no current intentions to open the border point, according to aid workers.

Damage in Northern Territories

Gaza City was the focus of a significant armed campaign begun in August that was still under way when the ceasefire deal was finalized a week ago.

Damage in the northern region has been massive, with complete communities including urban centers and adjacent communities in devastated as well as many of the surrounding regions of the main city.

"Any opening of a border point into Gaza is welcome, but we need to ensure we can help civilians where they are," commented a policy expert from a relief agency.

Relief Circumstances

Observers said many of the estimated 300,000 people who have come back to the northern area from the crowded shelter regions where they had been living during the Israeli offensive were now "living" among the ruins of their homes, often without any housing and with limited supplies or resources.

An official from a humanitarian body said the damage in Gaza City was "shocking".

"It is neighborhood after neighborhood, home after home ... there is extreme need for drinking water. Conditions are severe. We must have all the crossings open," the representative, who was in the northern city in recent days, said.

Insufficient Access

A local director working from the urban center said the requirements in what used to be the region's thriving business and social center were "overwhelming".

"There is this optimism and hope but there needs to be immediate enhancement on the access routes. There has been no substantial progress on the reality yet," the official stated.

"We continue to receive a insufficient volume of aid [and] we are only starting to comprehend the degree of destruction. Numerous roads are just full of rubble ... there is almost no home that is undamaged. There remains harm and unexploded ordnance everywhere."

Recent Developments

On Saturday, humanitarian organizations said small quantities of necessary propane entered Gaza for the first time in multiple months, along with shipments of wheat, grains and farm products. The additional resources sent commercial prices falling.

In the central town, a local resident said there had been certain progress since the peace agreement.

"Stores are full of food, vegetables, and fresh fruit, although the prices are continuing to be expensive and not accessible for the entire population," the person commented.

Winter Needs

"Our most important needs now, particularly given the coming of the cold season, are to have a shelter to keep us safe from the cold and cold-weather clothing because the stores do not have enough clothes for us or, if they exist, they are scarce and very expensive."

Several internationally-backed food preparation facilities in central and southern Gaza have resumed functioning since the ceasefire.

Aid Delivery

Vehicles were announced to have passed via the border access point from Israel to Gaza during recent days, though exact numbers were unknown.

The country's public broadcaster reported that Wednesday's aid deliveries would include edible goods, healthcare equipment, energy sources, cooking gas and tools to fix vital infrastructure.

"Humanitarian aid keeps coming into the conflict region through the border access point and additional routes after security checks," an military representative said.

Delivery Problems

But tracking the quantity of vehicles could be inaccurate, warned an expert from a relief agency. "We need to know what is in the vehicles and their capacity levels for it to be a truly significant measurement," the expert added.

Private companies are transporting convoys of transports carrying chocolate, carbonated beverages and light food, which have poor dietary quality, while emergency treatments for children or people who have lacked sufficient nutrition for two years are unavailable.

Treatment Conditions

In Gaza City, only seven healthcare facilities are functioning, compared with many in July.

Various groups have significant funding in assistance materials stored near the territory awaiting entry. An international organization working with Palestinians across the area for a long time has three months' worth of nutrition for everyone in Gaza prepared to be distributed.

"We possess the resources, the equipment and the capabilities ... we just need the permission," said one aid worker, who recently came back from Gaza.

Governmental Factors

An international initiative details that "full" support should be delivered to Gaza and be provided through humanitarian bodies and humanitarian networks, without obstruction from either combatant organizations or national security.

This likely prohibits the disputed authority-approved humanitarian organization which commenced activities in earlier this year, resulting in uncontrolled circumstances and numerous casualties as crowds of aid-seekers gathered around its distribution sites.

Humanitarian workers in Gaza {told|informed