• 560 tonnes of food are delivered daily to Gaza since the ceasefire, but it's inadequate for the population's needs.
• The UN warns that alleviating famine will need all crossings opened for effective aid delivery.
• Plans are in place to increase food distribution points from 5 to 145 across Gaza.
• Aid efforts face challenges with damaged infrastructure limiting access, particularly to northern areas.
• UN agencies stress the urgent need for nutritional support, particularly for women's and children's needs.

The United Nations reported that since the ceasefire took effect on October 11, an average of 560 tonnes of food has been delivered daily to Gaza. However, this volume remains far below the amount required to meet the urgent needs of the population, which is grappling with famine conditions, malnutrition, and widespread displacement. "We're still below what we need, but we're getting there," stated Abeer Etefa, spokesperson for the U.N. World Food Programme (WFP) during a briefing in Geneva, underlining the challenges faced in reaching vulnerable communities, particularly in northern Gaza, where the situation is most critical according to Reuters and aa.

With famine declared in parts of Gaza, the WFP has identified the need for significantly greater aid influx, advocating for the opening of all crossings to facilitate food supply. Currently, only limited routes are operational, and Etefa explained that addressing this crisis will take time: "It's going to take some time to scale back the famine." The WFP has also started distributing nutritional support, especially focusing on areas where families are returning, though access remains significantly hampered by damaged infrastructure, according to India Times and Reuters.

Efforts to increase food distribution are ongoing, with current infrastructure supporting only five distribution points, although there are plans to expand this to 145 locations. Additionally, the WFP has initiated operations of bakeries, producing over 100,000 bundles of bread daily to support around half a million people in Gaza, while aiming to increase this capacity, as noted by Etefa. She emphasized, "Bread is extremely important. The smell of fresh bread in Gaza is more than nourishment: it's a signal that life is returning," a sentiment echoed in reports by aa and India Times.

While recent days have seen improvements in aid delivery with approximately 3,000 tonnes of food reaching Gaza since the ceasefire, both the UN and WFP stress that ongoing access issues must be resolved. Urging for the opening of all crossings, the international community is called upon to ensure safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance to all areas, particularly those in desperate need, as reported by Reuters, aa, and India Times.