DaysofPal- As food supplies in the Gaza Strip run critically low, Palestinian families are resorting to desperate measures, eating “whatever they can find,” even if it is not safe for consumption. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) highlighted the dire situation in the besieged coastal enclave, urging for restoring humanitarian access.
“Humanitarian access must be restored,” UNRWA said in a recent post on the social media platform X.
The United Nations’ World Food Program (WFP) reported on Friday that its food stocks in Gaza are completely depleted, further exacerbating the crisis. The ongoing blockade, which has lasted for weeks, has left Gaza’s residents without sufficient food, medicine, or fuel.
“The siege on Gaza is the silent killer of children and of older people,” said Juliette Touma, spokesperson for UNRWA. “Families, whole families, seven or eight people, are resorting to sharing one can of beans or peas,” she told journalists in Geneva.
“Imagine not having anything to feed your children. Children in Gaza are going to bed starving.”
For nearly two months, the entry of all vital supplies into Gaza has been blocked by Israel, leaving aid groups with no resources to distribute. Markets are nearly empty, and families are struggling to provide even the most basic sustenance for their children.
Crippling Humanitarian Efforts
Over 5,000 trucks carrying lifesaving aid remain stalled in various parts of the region, denied entry to Gaza due to the blockade. “This decision is crippling the humanitarian efforts… and threatening the lives and survival of civilians in Gaza, who are also going through heavy bombardment day in, day out,” Ms. Touma continued.
The 60-day blockade has put 2.4 million Palestinians at risk of starvation, including over 1 million children, many of whom suffer from daily hunger. This humanitarian catastrophe has been compounded by Israel’s refusal to allow aid into the territory, despite the presence of essential supplies waiting to be delivered.
The international community has increasingly voiced concern over the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk urged the world to take immediate action to prevent the crisis from escalating further.
“As the complete blockade of life-sustaining aid enters its ninth week, international efforts must be made to prevent this humanitarian catastrophe, and the world must come together to prevent the collapse of humanitarian relief operations from reaching an unprecedented new level,” Türk said in a statement.
He also condemned the use of starvation as a method of warfare, calling it a war crime. “Any use of starvation of a civilian population as a method of warfare constitutes a war crime, as do all forms of collective punishment,” he added, referencing Israel’s justification of the blockade as a “tactic” to pressure Hamas to release prisoners.
Malnutrition and Death Toll Continue to Rise
The blockade has had a devastating effect on the health of Gaza’s population. According to statistics, 65,000 people in Gaza are severely malnourished and have been transferred to the few remaining operational medical centers. Tragically, the death toll among children has also risen.
As of last Friday, at least 50 children have died of starvation, with the most recent victim being Uday Fadi Ahmed, who passed away at al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah.
UNICEF has warned that 335,000 children under the age of five, essentially all of Gaza’s children in this age group, are now on the brink of death due to severe malnutrition. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the number of children receiving treatment for malnutrition has surged by 80 percent compared to just a few months ago.
Among the most vulnerable are infants, with 92 percent of children between six months and two years old, along with their mothers, not receiving the minimum essential nutritional needs. This malnutrition puts them at serious risk of long-term health issues, which will impact them for the rest of their lives.
The siege is part of a broader context of escalating violence, with Israel continuing its military operations in Gaza. Since the beginning of the war in October 2023, more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed, and around 118,000 have been wounded, according to the Ministry of Health in Gaza.
The blockade of Gaza has now been in place for nearly two months, with no humanitarian aid allowed to enter. Relief organizations are struggling to provide basic care to the population.
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