Israel's aid blockade threatens to dramatically accelerate the spread of hunger across the region.
There are only days left of food in Gaza, aid groups have warned, as Israel's total aid blockade on Gaza's southern border in recent days has already claimed the lives of countless Palestinians. It warns that forced starvation and the famine crisis in the affected regions could dramatically accelerate. It is alive.
on thursday, World Food Program (WFP) Palestine Director Matthew Hollingworth warns Humanitarian organizations currently have only one to three days' worth of food and fuel to distribute aid and do other basic operations.
“Our main warehouse is currently inaccessible. No aid has been coming in from the southern intersection for two days. Thousands of people are on the move. Only one bakery is still open.” Hollingworth said. Israel's forced evacuation of Rafah has forced some families to evacuate for the ninth time, according to a video accompanying Hollingworth's post.
“Food and fuel supplies in Gaza will only last one to three days. Without them, our operations will come to a halt,” he warned.
Other humanitarian organizations have similarly warned that if Israel continues to siege Rafah and block all aid entering Gaza, their operations will “certainly collapse”. Palestinians will soon no longer have access to clean water due to power shortages at desalination plants.
People seeking emergency medical care have been left stranded and hospitals have only a day or two of fuel left, aid workers said. The Gaza Ministry of Health said that people are now constantly dying due to lack of medical care, and that this is likely to include those who were being treated at Gaza's only dialysis center (currently occupied by the Israeli army). was forced to close due to ethnic cleansing and shelling of Rafah).
The World Health Organization (WHO) in Palestine said the hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip was already “catastrophic”.
“After more than 200 days of conflict, 1.1 million people are experiencing devastating food insecurity. Lack of food and safe drinking water is increasing the spread of disease.” written by the group in a social media post. “The people of Gaza are exhausted. They need food. They need medical supplies. They need #CeasefireNow.”
According to Oxfam, in the months leading up to Israel's siege of Rafah, Palestinians in northern Gaza consumed an average of only 245 calories a day. Last week, the WFP chief warned that northern Gaza was in the grip of “full-scale famine”, meaning hunger was “moving south”. Dozens of Palestinians, including children, have already been killed in Israel's anti-famine efforts.
As Israel blocks aid from entering the country, the Israeli military It seems that they are also aiming for They also arrested a UN worker who was trying to deliver humanitarian aid. Philippe Lazzarini, director general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), said his agency had recorded 10 incidents in two weeks where convoys were shot at or stopped due to tactics such as “bullying and stripping.” said. [aid workers] Nudity, threats with weapons, and long delays at checkpoints force convoys to move in the dark or abort. ”
Some aid groups said Israel's aid blockade and starvation campaign were in direct violation of an International Court of Justice order ordering Israel to expand aid to the region and prevent the spread of famine.
Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine director at Human Rights Watch, said on Tuesday: “Children are dying of starvation and starvation in Gaza, yet Israeli authorities continue to ignore the World Court and protect the survival of Gaza residents.'' “It's blocking essential aid.” It had closed its southern border crossing, a key entry point for humanitarian aid. “Every time Israeli authorities block life-saving aid, more Palestinians are at risk of death.”
