Aid groups: Israel blocks 83% of food aid to Gaza, triggering severe humanitarian crisis

09/22/2024 / By Richard Brown

Israel has blocked up to 83 percent of food aid from entering the Gaza Strip nearly a year into its ongoing military campaign against Palestinians in the besieged region, according to a press release from 15 humanitarian organizations on September 16.

“Eighty-three percent of the required food aid is not reaching Gaza, up from 34 percent in 2023. This drastic reduction has caused people in Gaza to go from having two meals a day to just one meal every other day,” the release stated. It also warned that approximately 50,000 children between six and 59 months old will urgently need treatment for malnutrition by the end of the year. (Related: Gaza death toll now over 40K; 69% of casualties are women and children.)

The statement also highlighted a severe decline in aid deliveries, revealing that in August 2024, an average of only 69 aid trucks entered Gaza each day – down from 500 per day at the same time last year, a number that was already insufficient to meet needs before the intensification of Israel’s actions.

“In August, over one million people in southern and central Gaza did not receive any food rations,” the release added.

The organizations also shed light on the escalating healthcare and housing crises. Currently, only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are partially functional, with just around 1,500 beds available for millions of people, while 1.87 million Palestinians urgently need shelter.

“There is a shortage of all humanitarian supplies. People are starving due to the lack of aid and 100 percent of the population now relies on humanitarian assistance,” said Amjad al-Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO).

“The situation was already intolerable before last October’s escalation and has now reached catastrophic levels,” stated Jolien Veldwijk, CARE Country Director for the West Bank and Gaza. “In 11 months, we’ve witnessed shocking levels of conflict, displacement, disease and hunger, yet aid is still being blocked and humanitarian workers face constant danger while violations of international law continue to rise.”

Among the organizations that signed the statement are Save the Children, Oxfam, the Danish Refugee Council, the Norwegian Refugee Council, KinderUSA and Islamic Relief.

Despite the growing crisis, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said last month, “We bring in aid because we have no choice … Nobody will allow us to let 2 million civilians die of hunger, even if it’s justified until our hostages are returned.”

Meanwhile, as Palestinians continue to suffer from hunger, disease and airstrikes, the UN reported that 55 forced evacuation orders remain in effect across Gaza, affecting over 85 percent of the territory.

According to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, between September 1 to 15, only 37 of the 94 planned humanitarian missions to northern Gaza were facilitated, while just over half of the 243 planned missions to southern Gaza proceeded. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has been unable to access northern Gaza for the past 28 days.

Food crisis in Gaza

Gaza is facing a severe food crisis, with more than one in five households reportedly going entire days without eating, according to a recent UN-partnered report.

The report highlights that 96 percent of Gaza’s population – about 2.15 million people – are experiencing “crisis” or higher levels of food insecurity. Of these, nearly half a million are in “catastrophic” conditions, signaling a high risk of famine.

The World Food Program (WFP) noted slight improvements in northern Gaza, attributing it to better humanitarian access, but emphasized that the situation remains desperate. Meanwhile, ongoing conflict and restricted access have left most of Gaza’s hospitals non-functional, with only 17 out of 36 hospitals partially operational.

A UN aid worker, Yasmina Guerda, described the perilous conditions for civilians and humanitarian workers, stating there are “no safe centimeters left” in Gaza. Daily bombings, forced evacuations and insufficient access to essential supplies have created a dire situation. Humanitarian efforts are further complicated by damaged infrastructure, regular attacks and administrative roadblocks.

Visit Starvation.news for more stories related to Israel’s “hunger campaign” in Gaza.

Watch this video about innocent children in Gaza getting bombed by Israeli forces.

This video is from the channel The Prisoner on Brighteon.com.