UN warns of ‘dangerously low’ food supplies in Gaza due to Israeli siege
Israel has vowed to maintain the siege of Gaza, and has admitted publicly that it uses the blocking of aid as a ‘main tool’ in its war
The UN warned on 23 April that food supplies in Gaza are “dangerously low,” as Israel continues to besiege the strip and prevent the entry of humanitarian aid.
“Throughout Gaza, food supplies are running dangerously low, and malnutrition is rapidly worsening. Last week, one partner screened 1,300 children in northern Gaza and identified more than 80 cases of acute malnutrition – a two-fold increase from previous weeks,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric.
“Our partners working in nutrition also report severe supply shortages due to the aid blockade and the challenges of moving essential items into and within the Gaza Strip. Access to key storage facilities, such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warehouse in Rafah, remains heavily constrained,” he added.
Dujarric also warned that “public health risks are grave, especially for vulnerable groups — particularly malnourished children under five — who are highly susceptible to waterborne diseases and infections.”
All border crossings to Gaza have remained shut, with the flow of aid into the strip completely halted. Thousands of aid trucks carrying UNRWA supplies remain stuck outside of Gaza, blocked from entering.
Hospitals across the strip are on the brink of total collapse due to the lack of desperately needed medical supplies, making it almost impossible to treat the scores of injured Palestinians arriving at medical centers on a daily basis.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz vowed on 16 April that Tel Aviv will not allow the entry of any humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, stressing that aid prevention is a “main tool” used to pressure Hamas.
The UN, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and other international organizations have accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war in blatant violation of humanitarian law.
Since the recent renewal and expansion of ground operations in Gaza, Israel has taken over at least 50 percent of the strip’s territory.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reported on Thursday that “50 martyrs and 152 injuries arrived at hospitals in the Gaza Strip during the past 24 hours,” and that the casualty toll since Israel resumed its war on Gaza on 18 March 2025 has reached “1,978 martyrs and 5,207 injuries.”
Among the nearly 2,000 dead are over 600 children.
No comments:
Post a Comment