Grave Warnings Issued Over Deadly Food Shortage in Gaza Strip by WHO - Looming Danger of Lethal Famine in Gaza as Warned by WHO
The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a dire warning about a growing hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip, with the health authority reporting ten more deaths from hunger in the past 24 hours, bringing the total to 111.
The crisis is primarily attributed to the severe restrictions on food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items, and fuel caused by the Israeli government's ongoing siege of the region. This blockade has resulted in widespread starvation and malnutrition, with reports of "record rates of acute malnutrition," particularly among children and older people.
Key issues exacerbating the crisis include restrictions, delays, and fragmentation in aid delivery, deadly shootings around food and aid distribution centres, forced displacement of nearly two million Palestinians, and the dangerous conditions that aid workers face.
More than 100 international aid organisations, including Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children, Oxfam International, and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, have issued joint statements warning about mass starvation and urgently calling for an end to the siege and for unrestricted humanitarian aid access.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has pre-positioned enough food stocks outside Gaza to supply the entire population for two months if a ceasefire and safe passage can be secured. Various Clusters and Technical Working Groups operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are coordinating ongoing humanitarian response efforts.
Aid groups are urging governments to open all land crossings, restore a full flow of essential supplies through UN-led mechanisms, and agree to a ceasefire to enable effective delivery of aid and avert further starvation.
Despite these efforts, challenges remain. Over 1,600 trucks with UN aid were approved from mid-May to mid-July, but fewer than 30 trucks per day are needed to meet the most basic needs. The UN finds it challenging to assess if the criteria for declaring a famine in the Gaza Strip are met due to ongoing Israeli attacks and continuous displacement of the population.
Many residents of the Gaza Strip say they live on only one meal a day. Six-year-old Adam often wakes up crying from hunger at night, says his mother Sama Abu Dawud. WFP reports that malnutrition is increasing rapidly and 90,000 women and children are in urgent need of medical treatment.
The Israeli government denies the existence of a "famine" in Gaza but acknowledges hunger. The Israeli government spokesman blames Hamas for preventing the distribution of aid and seizing aid trucks. Thousands protested in Tel Aviv against the Gaza war, displaying photos of children who died from hunger-related causes and carrying sacks of flour to highlight the plight in the Gaza Strip.
The WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has stated that there is a daily increase in deaths due to malnutrition in the Gaza Strip. A quarter of the population of the Gaza Strip now lives in "hunger-like conditions," according to the World Food Programme (WFP).
As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, the urgent need for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access cannot be overstated. The international community must act swiftly to prevent a catastrophic famine in Gaza.
- The employment policy of the Israeli government is under scrutiny due to the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip, which has led to widespread starvation and malnutrition, as stated by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- In light of the crisis in Gaza, the science community has emphasized the importance of addressing the health-and-wellness aspect, particularly focusing on nutritional needs and mental health support for the affected population.
- Fitness-and-exercise is also a concern, as the lack of clean water, medical supplies, and fuel in Gaza has made it difficult for residents to engage in physical activities, leading to further health complications.
- The political implications of the crisis in Gaza extend beyond the region, with numerous international aid organizations calling for an end to the siege and the implementation of a comprehensive employment policy that prioritizes humanitarian aid distribution.
- The ongoing conflict in Gaza has had far-reaching consequences, affecting not only the physical health of its residents but also their general news, crime-and-justice, and war-and-conflicts landscape, calling for urgent attention and action from the international community.
