2.1 Million in Gaza Face Severe Hunger Crisis: UN

(MENAFN) The United Nations sounded the alarm on Wednesday over the deepening food crisis gripping the Gaza Strip, warning that widespread and severe hunger persists across the enclave despite sustained humanitarian operations — with millions still unable to secure reliable access to basic nutrition.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, speaking to reporters, drew on data from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to paint a grim picture: an estimated 2.1 million people in Gaza are now confined to less than half of the territory's landmass, severely curtailing their reach to farmland, food sources, and critical services.

"People are unable to access parts of Gaza where land reserves and critical facilities, such as solid waste landfills, are present. They are also unable to travel abroad or access the West Bank, where services such as specialized health care are available to them.

"People who are allowed to exit as part of medical evacuations represent a tiny fraction of those who need services that are unavailable on a daily basis in Gaza," he said.

Referencing figures from the World Food Programme (WFP), Dujarric noted that more than 1.6 million people currently receive food parcels, hot meals, bread, or cash assistance on a monthly basis. Humanitarian partners are also delivering approximately 1.1 million meals each day through a network of over 120 community kitchens operating throughout the Gaza Strip.

Yet the scale of those efforts falls far short of the need. "Yet, more than six months since the declaration of a ceasefire, WFP said hunger hasn't disappeared, noting high malnutrition levels. Many families still rely on food assistance to get by, as fresh food remains too expensive. One in five families eats only one meal every day," Dujarric said.

When Anadolu asked whether the UN's repeated warnings about inadequate aid are producing results among decision-makers, Dujarric acknowledged the organization's frustration plainly.

"We hope that others besides you hear us. These are issues we've raised with the Israeli parties on a daily basis. We've also raised them with American counterparts. The bottom line is there hasn't been much positive movement on that.

"We don't control the system. We know we're on the ground. Our colleagues see with their own eyes exactly where the situation is. They know what's needed, and we're just not getting it," Dujarric said.

Israel launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, killing more than 72,000 Palestinians and injuring over 172,000 others, the majority of them women and children. Despite a ceasefire agreement in force since Oct. 10, Israel has continued its deadly campaign and blockade on Gaza, claiming an additional 837 lives and wounding 2,381 more, while inflicting sweeping destruction across the territory.

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