The World Food Program said that more than a quarter of the population of Gaza have exhausted their food supplies, and are facing the risk of death from starvation, in light of the continuing Israeli war on the Palestinian Strip.
The programme’s chief economist, Arif Hussein, warned of a comprehensive famine during the next six months if humanitarian access continues to be restricted, describing the crisis as unprecedented.
Arif also warned of the widespread spread of diseases among the residents of the Gaza Strip. Because their immune systems are weak, because they do not get enough nutrition.
Meanwhile, a Reuters report warned that the war in Gaza was disrupting food supplies, and that displaced families were spending days searching for food.
The agency said that hunger has become the most pressing problem among the many problems facing hundreds of thousands of displaced Palestinians in Gaza, as aid trucks were unable to bring only a small portion of what was needed, and the distribution is uneven due to the chaos of war.
Children are in danger
The report also quoted a doctor in Rafah in the Gaza Strip that patients come in an emaciated state and that hunger makes Gazan children dizzy, as weight loss and anemia have become common, people suffer from severe weakness and dehydration, and have become more susceptible to chest infections and skin diseases. Infants and children are particularly at risk, and their development will be affected.
In turn, Save the Children, which is concerned with defending children’s rights in the world, said that the continued siege and bombing practiced by Israel exposes thousands of children to the risk of death from starvation and disease.
The organization considered that all residents of the Gaza Strip are at risk of famine. Because of these conditions, she stressed that all residents there are facing a crisis of food insecurity, or worse.
