The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees has warned that there is not enough aid in the besieged Gaza Strip, leaving 40 percent of its population “at risk of famine” due to restrictions imposed by Israel at the entrance of aid trucks essential to enter the enclave.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on Thursday renewed its warning that the besieged enclave is “in the grip of catastrophic famine”, reiterating its calls for a “cease -humanitarian fire” while Israeli bombs rain non-stop from the north towards the southern part of the enclave.
“Every day is a struggle to survive, to find food and to find water,” Thomas White, director of UNRWA Gaza affairs, was quoted as saying by X, formerly known as Twitter.
“The reality is we need more help. The only hope left is a humanitarian ceasefire,” the agency said on X.
A “total siege” imposed by Israel since the war began on October 7, and after years of a crippling blockade, has deprived Palestinians in Gaza of food, water, fuel and medicine. Severe shortages have only been alleviated sporadically by humanitarian aid convoys entering mainly via Egypt.
Last week, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution on increased aid to Gaza after days of delay, but humanitarian groups and rights advocates called the resolution “woefully insufficient” and “almost devoid of substance.” sense “.
The latest stark warning from the UN agency about the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza came as Israeli troops continued to heavily bombard the territory on Thursday, the center of fierce fighting with Hamas fighters gradually moving towards the south – where hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians are taking refuge. .
Air and artillery attacks and house-to-house fighting became most intense in the southern city of Khan Younis. Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health in Gaza, reported more than 200 deaths “including entire families” in the past 24 hours in attacks across the territory.
More than 80 percent of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents have been driven from their homes, according to the UN, and many now live in cramped shelters or makeshift tents in the far south, in and around the town of Rafah, near the Egyptian border.
“Every day is a struggle to survive, to find food and to find water” @TomWhiteGaza
📍#Gaza is in the grip of a catastrophic famine. 40% of the population is now threatened with famine.
The reality is we need more help. The only hope left is humanitarian aid #ceasefire
– UNRWA (@UNRWA) December 28, 2023
‘Urgent measures’ needed to alleviate acute hunger
Earlier, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, called for “urgent measures to alleviate the grave peril” facing the people of Gaza, including “terrible injuries, severe hunger acute and… a serious risk of illness”.
Last week, a UN-backed report warned that all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents face dire levels of famine, with 576,600 people at catastrophic levels – or starvation.
According to the report, published by 23 UN and non-governmental agencies, the proportion of households in Gaza affected by high levels of acute food insecurity is the highest ever recorded in the world, eclipsing even near-famines in Afghanistan and Yemen of recent years.
Israel’s relentless aerial bombardments and ground invasion have killed at least 21,320 people, mostly women and children, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
Eylon Levy, the Israeli government spokesperson, accused the UN of failing to provide aid to civilians in Gaza. He claimed that Hamas was diverting aid and that “UNRWA was covering it up”, and blamed UN logistics for this week’s closure of the Israeli-controlled Karem Abu Salem border crossing (called Kerem Shalom in Israel). ).
Israel has not provided any evidence for its allegations against the UN agency.
Earlier this week, Israel said it would not renew the visa of a UN staff member in the country and would also deny the visa application of another UN employee, l he world body that criticized Israel’s targeting of civilians and hospitals during the Gaza war. An overwhelming majority of the more than 21,000 Palestinians killed are civilians.
Israeli officials have rejected international calls for a ceasefire, saying it would amount to a victory for Hamas.
The United States – while providing crucial support for the offensive – has urged Israel to take greater steps to spare civilians and allow more aid. But aid workers say the amount of food, fuel and medical supplies coming in is still far less than what is needed.
