Middle East & Africa | The flow of aid

Why food is piling up on the edge of Gaza

Thousands of tonnes of food and medicine are still waiting to get in

Aid trucks bound for Gaza wait In Al-Arish due  to the closed crossing
Photograph: Getty Images

Judging by the amount of aid that has arrived at the Egyptian side of the border with Gaza, the embattled Palestinians should be well catered for. Canvas warehouses rise out of the desert, piled high with blankets and tents. Depots are packed with medicines and sanitary kits. Lorries loaded with food line the roadsides in their thousands. And a floating hospital with 100 beds, courtesy of the United Arab Emirates, is docked at a nearby Egyptian port.

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This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Why food is piling up at the border”

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