More than 24,000 tons of UN humanitarian aid have been delivered to the Gaza Strip since the start of the ceasefire, a representative of the world organization said today, calling on non-governmental organizations to be allowed to work in the Palestinian enclave, AFP reported.

Although aid volumes have increased significantly since the ceasefire came into effect on October 10, humanitarian organizations still face funding shortages and coordination problems with Israel, the UN said.

"Since the beginning of the ceasefire, we have delivered over 24,000 tons of aid through all checkpoints and have resumed its distribution at both the settlement and household levels," said Ramiz Alakbarov, the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Palestinian Territories, today.

Samer Abdel Jaber, director of the UN World Food Programme for the Middle East, noted that in 20 days the agency had managed to"distribute about 20,000 tons of food in the Gaza Strip."

In the Palestinian enclave besieged by Israel and in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe, the fear of a repeat of the war still haunts exhausted residents who are in dire need of water and food.

Despite everything, looting of humanitarian convoys has significantly decreased, which facilitates distribution, Alakbarov specified, quoted by BTA.

"Implementation of the (US) 20-point plan remains central and is a necessary condition for us to be able to provide humanitarian assistance in full," he added.

Alakbarov called on Israel to allow non-governmental organizations to participate in the distribution of aid in the Gaza Strip.

"The persistent problem with NGO registration continues to slow down" operations, he said, noting the"key" role of national and international NGOs.

"The good news is that thanks to the ceasefire negotiated by the US, we can deliver much more aid to Gaza than before," said UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher in a video statement.

"This is real progress, but it is a drop in the ocean. It is just the beginning of what we need to do," he stressed.