Janice R. Andrews
Concerned about what they perceive to be isolated cases of hunger in the region, Gazan aid workers are raising the alarm. Parents are reportedly sacrificing their remaining food for their children, with the cost of an apple reaching $8 (£6.30) and fuel for cooking becoming practically hard to buy.
In a joint statement, UN organisations such as the World Food Programme, Unicef, and World Health Organisation called for immediate humanitarian aid to be provided to Gaza. Palestinian officials have reported that the Israeli offensive has resulted in around 24,000 deaths.
The organisations demanded that more truck access points be opened, that relief workers be allowed to travel safely, and that trucks be given a higher daily capacity. They mentioned obstacles such as restricted border crossings, a protracted truck inspection procedure, and continuous conflict, without explicitly criticising Israel.
Following a terrorist incident in October, the Israeli offensive resulted in widespread destruction and the displacement of the majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. Many people have had to move more than once, losing money and belongings in the process.
In the southern part of Gaza, families are jammed into hospitals, schools, and shelters while improvised homes take up all available space. Locals describe harsh circumstances, like a lack of food, water, or heat. Some now only get one meal a day—bread with flour and salt—due to the absence of assistance.
According to medical reports, babies born to malnourished moms seldom survive more than a few days, and youngsters are dying of hypothermia as a result of their compromised health. The price of basic essentials has surged, with salt rising 1,800% and bread costs six times greater than prewar levels.
There are still 300,000 people living in ruins in northern Gaza, but access is restricted because of ongoing warfare. Aid workers believe there are “pockets of famine” in the north, but there isn’t enough information to make a formal announcement.
Because of the restricted access that Israeli authorities provided, the UN stated that less than 25% of assistance convoys made it to northern Gaza in January. Aid workers point out logistical difficulties and abandoned warehouses, while Israel points the finger at the UN and insists there is no food shortage.
Within three weeks, one in four Gazan households might experience severe food shortages, famine, and a lack of resources to cope. This is according to experts. Gaza may experience the highest levels of acute food insecurity ever defined for any specific area, according to a research from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative.
Palestinian officials announced that there had been an extra 132 Israeli strikes, raising the total number of deaths during the war to 24,100. Women and children are believed to make up two thirds of those slain. Targeting militants and extending its authority, the Israeli military is still active in Khan Younis and northern Gaza.
While the Israeli military attributes the civilian death toll to Hamas operating out of civilian institutions, Hamas refutes Israeli charges that it uses people as human shields. There are still requests for more humanitarian aid to confront the catastrophic situation that is developing in Gaza.
