[📹 Israeli occupation warplanes strike the coastal Rashid street in Gaza, a location where displaced civilians wait for the arrival of food aid trucks.]
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💥ISRAELI OCCUPATION BOMBS AREA FOR CIVILIANS TO RECEIVE AID AS UN AGENCIES WARN OF DISEASE AND STARVATION💥
📹 Israeli occupation warplanes strike the coastal Rashid street in Gaza, a location where displaced civilians wait for the arrival of food aid trucks.
At the same time, the United Nations' various humanitarian aid agencies published a press release warning of the deadly combination of hunger, malnutrition, and disease.
In the press release, the heads of the World Food Programme, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, warn that, without the ability to produce or purchase food, "the entire population of Gaza relies on aid to survive," meaning all 2.3 million people.
"But humanitarian aid alone cannot meet the essential needs of the people of Gaza," the statement says.
The agency heads say that despite what aid they have delivered into Gaza, despite "extraordinarily difficult conditions" the quantities "fall far short of what is needed to prevent a deadly combination of hunger, malnutrition and disease."
"The shortage of food, clean water, and medical assistance is particularly severe in the northern areas," the agency heads added.
The UN agency heads emphasize that aid access is severely limited by Israel's closure of all but two border crossings, through which all the aid, and the Israeli checks of every vehicle, must happen through the two crossings in the south.
Once inside, efforts to distribute aid are hampered by Israeli bombardments, "endangering the lives of ordinary Gazans, and the UN and other humanitarian personnel striving to help them."
“People in Gaza risk dying of hunger just miles from trucks filled with food,” said WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain. “Every hour lost puts countless lives at risk. We can keep famine at bay but only if we can deliver sufficient supplies and have safe access to everyone in need, wherever they are.”
The UN agency heads point to the latest Integrated Food Security and Nutrition Phase Classification (IPC) report, which found "devastating" levels of food insecurity.
"Virtually all Palestinians in Gaza are skipping meals every day while many adults go hungry so children can eat," the statement added, with report also warning of outright famine.
The WFP says that since October 7th, the food aid program has served over 900'000 Palestinians, but warns it's nowhere near enough.
"The conflict has also damaged or destroyed essential water, sanitation and health infrastructure and services, and limited capacity to treat severe malnutrition and infectious disease outbreaks," the statement says.
The humanitarian agencies are also setting off alarms over Gaza's 355'000 children under the age of 5, with UNICEF projecting "child wasting" in the next few weeks, calling it "the most threatening form of malnutrition in children," could increase by nearly 30% and affect up to 10'000 children in Gaza.
“Children at high risk of dying from malnutrition and disease desperately need medical treatment, clean water and sanitation services, but the conditions on the ground do not allow us to safely reach children and families in need,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Some of the material we desperately need to repair and increase water supply remain restricted from entering Gaza. The lives of children and their families are hanging in the balance. Every minute counts," she added.
UNICEF has also been warning that children in Gaza are accessing far too little water, well below "the recommended requirements for survival."
UNICEF says its provided water to over 1.3 million people, and medical supplies, including 600'000 vaccine doses, and even provided cash transfers to over half a million households, but warns much more is needed to address "desperate" conditions.
The WHO and it's partners say they've been working to support Gaza's healthcare system, delivering supplies, equipment, medicines and fuel, as well as coordinating medical teams and disease surveillance, with more than a dozen "high-risk missions" delivering supplies to hospitals in Gaza, as well as establishing two kitchens which are serving 1'200 meals per day.
Still, the UN agencies are warning that none of it is anywhere near enough.
“People in Gaza are suffering from a lack of food, water, medicines and adequate healthcare. Famine will make an already terrible situation catastrophic because sick people are more likely to succumb to starvation and starving people are more vulnerable to disease”, said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “We need unimpeded, safe access to deliver aid and a humanitarian ceasefire to prevent further death and suffering.”
The UN agencies are also asking Israel to give authorization to use nearby ports food and other aid to be delivered into Gaza, pointing to Ashdod as a potential port Israel could allow agencies to use to deliver critically necessary supplies.
“The flow of aid has been a trickle in comparison to a sea of humanitarian needs,” said Phillipe Lazzarini, Commissioner General for the UN Palestine Refugee Agency (UNRWA). “Humanitarian aid will not be enough to reverse the worsening hunger among the population. Commercial supplies are a must to allow the markets and private sector to re-open and provide an alternative to food accessibility.”
The press release finishes by emphasizing the urgency of lifting barriers and restrictions Israel is keeping on aid, making quick deliveries of essential goods next to impossible. The agency heads also "reiterated the call for a humanitarian ceasefire to enable this vitally important roll-out of a massive, multi-agency humanitarian operation," in order to respond to the crises in Gaza.
