Hunger looms over the Gaza Strip, and the people’s suffering in obtaining bread worsens (Anatolia)

On the 137th day of the Israeli war on Gaza, the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, and famine looms on the horizon as Israel continues to prevent the entry of food and basic supplies into the Strip. The United Nations World Food Program estimates that more than a quarter of Gaza’s population has exhausted their food supplies and faces the specter of famine. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned that 90% of children in the Gaza Strip suffer from malnutrition.

In light of these tragic circumstances, the World Food Program announced - today, Tuesday - that it has temporarily suspended the delivery of food aid to the besieged northern Strip until conditions allow for “safe” distribution.

The UN program explained - in a statement - that "the decision to stop delivering aid to the northern Gaza Strip was not taken lightly" given the awareness of the meaning of "the situation deteriorating further there, and that a greater number of people will face the risk of dying from hunger."

The World Food Program had previously stopped - 3 weeks ago - sending food aid to northern Gaza, after an Israeli strike hit a truck, before resuming its shipments, but since then its trucks have been subjected to several obstacles, including the fact that there was a bombing that targeted them in light of “violence and chaos,” according to What was stated in the statement?

The program also announced - earlier - that very small amounts of food aid have passed from the south of the Gaza Strip to its north since the beginning of the war, stressing that the risk of famine forming in areas of the Strip still exists, and that more than a quarter of the population of Gaza have exhausted their food supplies, and are now facing danger. die from hunger.

The spokeswoman for the United Nations Program in the Middle East, Abeer Atifa, said that it is difficult to reach places in need of aid, especially in the northern Gaza Strip.

WFP is deeply concerned about the humanitarian consequences of the expanded military attacks in #Rafah, where more than a million people are gathered in a small area.

With most aid arriving in #Gaza through the Rafah crossing and being distributed there, this will make relief efforts more difficult. pic.twitter.com/t2URhvLVP4

- United Nations World Food Program (@WFP_Arabic) February 14, 2024

UNICEF warning

For its part, UNICEF said in a statement that the Gaza Strip is on the verge of witnessing an explosion in the number of child deaths as a result of the severe nutritional crisis, indicating that this crisis and health problems can be avoided if the conflict stops.

UNICEF Regional Director of Media for the Middle East, Ammar Ammar, called for the opening of all crossing points into the Gaza Strip and the safe and sustainable entry of aid into all parts of the Strip.

Ammar explained - in an interview with Al Jazeera - that about 90% of Gaza's children suffer from malnutrition, pointing out that aid has not reached the northern Gaza Strip for weeks, warning that if the situation on the ground does not change, we will witness the worst.

Starving the sector

At the same time, the government media office in Gaza announced in a statement that famine was deepening in the Strip, and warned of a disaster in which hundreds of thousands of children and women would fall victim.

The office added in its statement that the Israeli occupation began implementing a policy of starvation and thirst, leading to famine since the beginning of the genocidal war, and called on Russia, China, Turkey, and all countries of the free world and international organizations to break the siege and put pressure to stop the genocidal war.

The Palestinian statement called for an immediate and urgent halt to the genocidal war against civilians, children and women.

Scenes obtained by Al Jazeera showed thousands of Palestinians gathering in the Sheikh Ajlin area on Al-Rashid Street, west of Gaza City, awaiting the arrival of a limited number of trucks carrying humanitarian aid of flour.

The pictures document the extent and level of famine to which the residents have reached, as thousands of them flocked to this point despite their knowledge of the presence of Israeli vehicles firing fire and missiles at everyone who arrived at the place. In the end, most of those gathered did not get what they wanted due to limited aid.

The United Nations warned - last week - that alarming food shortages, widespread malnutrition, and the rapid spread of diseases are factors that could lead to a “very significant increase” in the number of child deaths in the Gaza Strip.

At least 90% of children under the age of five in Gaza suffer from one or more infectious diseases, according to a report issued by UNICEF, the World Health Organization and the World Food Programme.

“Hunger and disease are a deadly combination,” says Mike Ryan, head of emergency situations at the World Health Organization.

This comes as the Israeli occupation continues its aggression against the besieged Gaza Strip, in light of a situation in which the people of Gaza, especially the northern Gaza Strip, are suffering from famine that threatens those who survived the bombing with death from starvation.

This is accompanied by calls and appeals for the need to rescue people - especially children - and allow aid to enter in order to alleviate this situation, which is described as catastrophic.

Reports from Al Jazeera earlier documented aspects of the people's daily struggle to afford a meal, while some of them say that the animal feed that was ground and made into some food has also run out.

Source: Al Jazeera + agencies