UN report says 1 in 5 Gazans suffer acute food insecurity
An upcoming UN report to be published on June 25th reveals that over 495,000 Gazans — representative of one in five of the enclave’s population — face catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity, Arab News and agencies reported.
Israel strictly controls entry into Gaza — most movements require military permission. Rubble has damaged the roads, fuel is scarce, and power and communication networks are barely functional.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) noted that aid deliveries to the territory increased significantly in March and April, which then prevented famine and improved conditions in southern Gaza. Yet the situation has once again become dire from recently invigorated hostilities.
The UN and other aid organizations have reported difficulties in reaching the Kerem Shalom border crossing due to ongoing fighting, Israeli restrictions and coordination issues with the army.
READ: US announces plan to provide Gaza with $400 in aid
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said that Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza may constitute the war crime of deliberate starvation. The World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation warned that by mid July, over 1 million people could be dead or starving.
While the IPC has not officially declared a famine, 22 percent of Gaza’s population faces Stage 5 hunger, which is comparable to famine conditions. A formal declaration of famine requires 20 percent of households to have an extreme lack of food, 30 percent of children to suffer from acute malnutrition, and at least two adults or four children per 10,000 people to die each day.
The report revealed that many households have had to sell or exchange clothes in order to afford to buy food, more than half of households reported frequently running out of food at home and over 20 percent go entire days and nights without eating. If this trend continues, March and April’s improvements may reverse.
READ: UNRWA food aid blocked by Israel…again
In May, the United States finished its construction of a pier to help deliver aid to Gaza. Though an expert claimed that it can hardly expect to reach its goal or constitute for the mass starvation throughout the region.
“The crisis in Gaza has reached another breaking point,” read a joint statement from the EU’s Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell and the European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarcic. “The delivery of any meaningful humanitarian assistance inside Gaza has become almost impossible and the very fabric of civil society is unraveling.”
“The international community must apply relentless pressure to achieve a ceasefire and ensure sustained humanitarian access now,” said Kate Phillips-Barrasso, Vice President of Global Policy and Advocacy at Mercy Corps. “The population cannot endure these hardships any longer.”
Arab News and agencies
