Mercy Corps has been trying to send a shipment of food into the Gaza Strip this week, but ground troops and border restrictions have prevented the aid from getting to its destination.

"Only a trickle of aid is getting in," explains David Holdridge, Mercy Corps Regional Program Director for the Middle East. "Many families in Gaza have been living for more than a week without reliable electricity, heat, food or water."

Mercy Corps Administrative and Finance Manager Wafa Ulliyan describes the situation for civilians as "terrible and deteriorating." Ulliyan, who fled Gaza City shortly after air strikes started in late December, is living with her husband, 7-month-old daughter, two sisters and 10 other family members.

"I cannot describe how terrible it is. No one feels safe," says Ulliyan. "There is continuous shelling, no electricity for two days, and every night the children are in a panic. But the situation is even worse in other areas of Gaza." Ulliyan has been unable to contact her friends and neighbors in Gaza City.

Update: Here's an interview with the group's mission director for the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.