The United Nations reported Tuesday that humanitarian assistance to northern Gaza has been largely obstructed for 66 days since Israel's ground offensive began on October 6. This has left an estimated 65,000 to 75,000 Palestinians without access to basic necessities, including food, water, electricity, and healthcare.

The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlighted that Israel's ongoing siege of areas such as Beit Lahiya, Beit Hanoun, and Jabaliya has severely restricted aid delivery. Recently, about 5,500 people were forced to flee three schools in Beit Lahiya and relocate to Gaza City.

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Only four U.N.-supported bakeries, all located in Gaza City, are currently operational, worsening the region’s food crisis, OCHA noted.

Sigrid Kaag, the U.N.’s senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator for Gaza, described the situation as "utterly devastating" after briefing the U.N. Security Council in a closed-door meeting. She emphasized that lawlessness and looting have further compounded the crisis, making it difficult for the U.N. and aid groups to provide essential supplies to the hundreds of thousands in need.

Kaag called on Israel to grant access for aid convoys, reopen Gaza's southern Rafah crossing with Egypt, and approve the entry of dual-use items. The Israeli mission to the U.N. declined to comment on her statement.

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While the U.N. has established logistical frameworks to distribute aid across Gaza, Kaag stressed that political will — which lies with member states, not humanitarians — is crucial to resolving the crisis. She urged the Security Council and the global community to take decisive action to address the worsening humanitarian emergency in Gaza.