UN says it'll take 'some time' to reverse Gaza famine, urged Israel to open all crossings

The United Nations warned on Friday that it would take "some time" to reverse the famine in the Gaza Strip, and urged Israel to open all crossings.

"It's going to take some time to scale back the famine" declared by the UN in late August, World Food Programme (WFP) spokeswoman Abeer Etefa told a media briefing in Geneva.

She called for all land crossings into the Palestinian territory to be opened up "so that we can flood Gaza with food supplies".  She said the WFP had been able to use the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings in recent days, but others, such as the one in northern Gaza, remain closed. 

Etefa said WFP had five food distribution points up and running across the Gaza Strip, mostly in the south, but wanted to get to 145.

"The ceasefire has opened a narrow window of opportunity," she added. "WFP is moving very quickly and swiftly to scale up food assistance and reach families who have endured months of blockade, displacement and hunger."

From Saturday until Wednesday, around 230 trucks with 2,800 tonnes of food supplies crossed into Gaza, said Etefa.

This is less than half of the 600 agreed as part of the ceasefire agreement. 

"We're still below what we need, but we're getting there," Etefa added.