Why Aid to Gaza Struggles to Reach Those in Need

Deir el-Balah, Gaza – Behind every truck carrying food, medicine, or fuel is a logistics chain to keep those vehicles running. But in Gaza, that chain has been broken by Israel's military campaign.

According to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, before the war, about 1,200 vehicles served Gaza's transport and aid needs. Now only a few remain operational. At least 150 trucks have been damaged or destroyed, and many others are kept running through repairs and by salvaging parts from unusable vehicles.

A reporter followed mechanics and drivers in Gaza as they worked together to fix trucks and siphon fuel from damaged vehicles. “With these hands, I save one truck and let it go so another can take its place,” said one driver.

Tires, oil, and engines are all scarce. Mechanics and drivers say the lack of supplies and spare parts adds to the challenge of keeping the few remaining vehicles on the road.

A journey across devastated Gaza

From the Rafah crossing, trucks carrying goods from Egypt enter Gaza. After passing inspections, they move into the strip, but ahead still lies the route to distribution centers and warehouses. Vehicles must travel along Salah al-Din Road or the Philadelphi Corridor to reach the main coastal highway, al-Rashid.

That means aid must pass through multiple points before reaching Gaza's provinces, and each step can be blocked by the destruction in the area. If a truck breaks down en route, the cargo won't get through. Another vehicle lacking tires, hindered by a breakdown, or out of fuel will carry less or not move at all.

With fewer usable vehicles, the pressure on the remaining ones grows.

Not just vehicles at risk

Beyond the dangers of the blockade and spare part shortages, aid drivers are also risking their lives. Naser Isleem, father of Ahmed Isleem – a Palestinian aid driver killed by Israeli forces while trying to deliver goods – showed photos and videos of his son with his wife and children. Ahmed's journey is one of many that ended in death, as drivers face threats from the Israeli military and Israeli-backed militias. His story also highlights the risks of the current cargo transport system in Gaza.

A dire situation

The current aid distribution situation in Gaza makes it extremely difficult for drivers to reach warehouses, let alone for trucks to breach the blockade. But the most vulnerable point in the journey is the road to distribution centers.

The number of trucks allowed into Gaza is limited by crossings, but the number that can travel from the crossing to distribution centers is constrained by damaged roads, traffic, fuel, and the health and morale of drivers.

While public attention focuses on how many trucks are permitted into Gaza, the number that can actually reach distribution centers after entering is a more critical limit on aid delivery. Those in need of food, medicine, and fuel will have to wait for trucks to arrive – if they can make it at all.