The World Food Program (WFP) has announced a halt in food deliveries to northern Gaza due to the escalating chaos in the region. This decision has raised concerns about a potential famine. The WFP’s move comes amid a significant reduction in the entry of aid trucks into Gaza.
What Happened: The WFP has temporarily suspended food deliveries to northern Gaza due to the deteriorating situation in the region. The organization has expressed concerns about the possibility of widespread hunger, reported the Associated Press.
According to the U.N. Children’s Agency, one in six children in the north of Gaza is currently suffering from severe malnutrition. The entry of aid trucks into the besieged territory has decreased by more than half over the past two weeks. The U.N. and relief workers have attributed this decline to the Israeli military’s failure to ensure the safety of aid convoys and a breakdown in security, leading to hungry Palestinians forcibly taking food from trucks.
The worsening aid situation is expected to exacerbate the suffering in the territory, where Israel’s air and ground offensive, initiated in response to a Hamas attack on Oct. 7, has resulted in the deaths of over 29,000 Palestinians, the destruction of entire neighborhoods, and the displacement of more than 80% of the population.
According to the report published on Monday by the Global Nutrition Cluster, a UNICEF-led aid partnership, 95% of households in Gaza have adults limiting their own food intake to ensure small children can eat, with 65% of families consuming only one meal per day.
In addition to large groups of Palestinians gathering around convoys, aid workers report being hindered by intense fighting, strikes targeting trucks, and Israel’s inability to ensure the safety of deliveries. According to the U.N., between Jan. 1 and Feb. 12, Israel prevented access to 51% of its scheduled aid deliveries to northern Gaza.
Why It Matters: The decision by the WFP to halt aid deliveries to northern Gaza comes at a critical juncture in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The situation in Gaza has been a subject of international concern, with calls for a ceasefire and urgent humanitarian aid.
Earlier in the month, China warned of a potential “serious humanitarian disaster” in Gaza and urged Israel to cease its military operations. This warning added to the mounting international pressure on Israel to agree to a ceasefire with Hamas.
Subsequently, the United States proposed a UN resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza, marking a significant shift in its stance on the conflict. The U.S. highlighted the potential for a major Israeli ground offensive in Rafah, which could worsen the humanitarian crisis.
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to “finish the job” in Gaza, dismissing calls for a ceasefire and threatening to invade Rafah if Israeli hostages are not released by the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
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