Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon aid agencies are responding to the situation in the Gaza strip, where Israeli forces and Hamas are now fighting on the ground.

Joy Portella is with Portland-based Mercy Corps. She says it's a tough situation because of the urban environment and the size of the population that's been cut off.

Joy Portella: "We are looking at helping people throughout the Strip. It's a very quickly evolving, and I'll say 'checkered' situation on the ground. You have some pockets of the strip that are heavily impacted by what's going on, and then other parts that really aren't impacted at all."

Imagine everyone in the Portland metro area-crammed within the city limits, and you start to get an idea of the population density of the Gaza Strip. 

Portella says Mercy Corps had hoped to have food deliveries flowing by now, but the closure of the Kerem Shalom crossing over the weekend made that impossible.

Blankets and other hard goods are being delivered from internal sources. The agency hopes to begin food aid as soon as possible -- maybe even Monday.