"UN: Over 900 checkpoints block aid access in the West Bank, UN says

New York, Aug. 15, 2026 – UN humanitarian partners have warned that relief work in the West Bank is facing delays and restrictions due to a network of more than 900 "physical obstacles" imposed by the Israeli occupation, including checkpoints, gates, roadblocks, and other restrictions.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) explained in a statement that these barriers obstruct the delivery of humanitarian aid, leaving those in need without adequate services and assistance.

It added that aid and municipal workers are struggling to secure access to three Palestinian families in the village of Qusra, south of Nablus. "These families have been trapped there since Tuesday, following the establishment of a settlement outpost next to their homes and the tightening of access restrictions in the area."

It continued, "In cooperation with municipal workers, UN partners are trying to deliver food, water, infant formula, medicine, and hygiene supplies to the people trapped inside, but these attempts have not succeeded so far."

The UN office warned that efforts to protect Palestinians have been ineffective, amid reports that settlers have re-erected a tent that Israeli occupation forces had dismantled last Thursday.

In the northern West Bank, OCHA explained that humanitarian conditions remain extremely difficult. Child protection partners have provided vital assistance, including psychosocial support, case management, and services for children with disabilities, to approximately 30,000 children and 15,000 adults since the beginning of this year.

In Gaza, OCHA indicated that humanitarian workers continue to deliver vital aid to the Strip's population despite continuous insecurity and imposed restrictions. It noted that over the past week, the UN and its partners mobilized rapid support for people who lost their shelters or were displaced again due to attacks, house fires, and other incidents.

It added that in more than 12 reported incidents, people were displaced and lost their property as a result of occupation attacks, affecting about 290 families. Additionally, two families were affected by house fires, which are often linked to unsafe cooking inside shelters in the absence of proper power sources.

It further noted that five other families were affected by the placement of new yellow concrete blocks, a measure that often leads to the displacement of residents in Gaza, as it indicates the expansion of areas where the occupation enforces access restrictions.