The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) called on the international community Tuesday to take "urgent" action to facilitate humanitarian aid entry into Gaza and end civilian suffering "before it's too late."

UNRWA spokesperson Louise Waterridge warned during a Geneva press conference that the agency's warehouses in Amman and Egypt are "overflowing" with aid that should be inside Gaza, while the population faces "deteriorating" humanitarian conditions and "worsening" famine due to the ongoing blockade.

"Time is running out," Waterridge cautioned as the blockade enters its 11th week, stating that "for many, the damage has become irreversible... it's simply too late already." She emphasized that "famine and supply shortages are just one aspect of this catastrophe," noting continued "indiscriminate bombing" that killed UNRWA teachers at a shelter school in Deir al-Balah, along with children and civilians across the Strip.

In the same briefing, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), confirmed the UN secured another permit for aid trucks to enter Gaza today. However, he noted only five of nine authorized trucks managed to cross through the Kerem Shalom crossing on Monday under UN supervision.

Laerke stressed aid distribution will continue through the existing humanitarian system that has "proven effective," following "needs-based criteria prioritizing Gaza's most vulnerable civilians." He warned that "the reduction in aid deliveries is exacerbating despair and humanitarian suffering," emphasizing the critical need for "unimpeded" aid flow into Gaza.