DaysofPal- The United Nations has warned that the ongoing Israeli war of extermination and ethnic cleansing, now lasting for more than 18 months, coupled with a complete blockade and the prevention of aid entry into the Gaza Strip for two months, has devastated the lives of 2.2 million Palestinians and led to the near-total destruction of the infrastructure civilians rely on for survival.
The World Food Program (WFP) delivered the last of its remaining food supplies to the hot meal kitchens in Gaza, the UN said in a Friday report. It is anticipated that in the days ahead, the food supply in these kitchens, which have been a vital lifeline for many Palestinians, will run out entirely.
WFP Executive Director Cindy Hensley McCain told PBS, “We sent the last truck of our food stockpile to Gaza, and there is nothing left. And more people are going to starve in Gaza as a result of what’s going on there.” She stressed the urgency of the situation, saying, “There are fears of famine in Gaza because of our inability to get in and deliver aid.”
“There must be a ceasefire in Gaza, and humanitarian workers must be allowed in,” she emphasized.
McCain also underscored the humanitarian principle behind their work: “Food is not political, and making it so in Gaza is unacceptable and should not happen.” Responding to accusations often leveled against aid operations, she added, “Our staff did not see evidence of Hamas using aid as a tool to maintain its power.”
The UN report explained that, over the past weeks, hot meal kitchens had become the only consistent source of food assistance for the population. Although they managed to reach only half of Gaza’s residents and meet just 25% of daily food needs, these kitchens provided an essential survival mechanism.
However, the WFP warned that the situation inside Gaza has once again reached a breaking point: “Coping mechanisms are exhausted, and the fragile gains made during the brief ceasefire have been erased.
Unless urgent action is taken to open the crossings for aid and trade, the WFP may be forced to end its vital assistance.”
Meanwhile, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that the complete closure imposed by Israel on Gaza and the prevention of life-saving aid, including food and fuel, has now entered its eighth week.
The OHCHR confirmed that bakeries have shut down due to the lack of flour and cooking fuel, basic food prices have soared, and Israeli attacks at sea continue to cripple Gaza’s fishing industry. With food aid ceasing and stockpiles rapidly running out, Gaza’s civilian population, especially vulnerable groups and children, faces a rising threat of starvation.
The OHCHR also documented that the Israeli occupation forces continue targeting civilian objects vital to survival. Between April 21 and 22, Israeli forces carried out deliberate and coordinated attacks across three governorates in Gaza, destroying 36 heavy machines, including excavators, water trucks, and sewage suction tankers, essential for humanitarian relief efforts.
The destruction of these machines is expected to severely hamper rescue operations, including retrieving the wounded from beneath the rubble, clearing debris to allow ambulance access, distributing safe drinking water, collecting solid waste, and maintaining sewage networks, thus heightening the risk of widespread disease outbreaks.
The OHCHR stressed that “deliberate attacks on civilian objects are illegal and constitute a war crime under international humanitarian law.”
In a related development, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) reported that nearly 50% of the displaced and affected population in Gaza are women and girls. The OHCHR also estimated that “nearly 70% of those killed in Gaza between October 7, 2023, and March 31, 2025, were women and children.”
Since March 2, Israeli authorities have tightened the blockade on the Gaza Strip, resulting in a complete halt to the entry of humanitarian aid, including food, fuel, and medical supplies.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed it has run out of flour and has only 250 food parcels remaining.
In a statement issued on April 22, UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini warned of the deepening crisis: “Some 3,000 aid trucks loaded with life-saving supplies are parked at the Gaza border waiting to be allowed in,” adding that “hunger is spreading and Gaza is becoming a land of despair.” He urged the international community to take urgent action to lift the blockade and resume the ceasefire.
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