“The risk of starvation is everywhere in Gaza,” UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva. “This is a direct result of the Israeli government’s policy of blocking humanitarian aid,” he said. Mr. Al-Kheetan insisted that in the past few weeks, Israeli authorities have only allowed aid to enter in quantities that […]
That warning comes from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in a tweet posted on Tuesday, calling for more aid to be allowed into the enclave by Israeli authorities. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that five people died over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition and starvation, the UN Office for the Coordination of […]
Two top UN officials warned that the Israeli cabinet’s green light this week for a fresh offensive aimed at gaining total military control of Gaza City – home to around one million Palestinians – would only risk igniting “another horrific chapter” of displacement, death and destruction. Miroslav Jenča, Assistant Secretary-General for Europe, Central Asia and […]
The UN Security Council is meeting in New York following the Israeli cabinet’s decision to again expand its military operation inside the Gaza Strip and take full control of the key population centre of Gaza City. UN chief António Guterres described it as a “dangerous escalation” for the two million civilians trapped in the enclave […]
Particularly hard hit is El Fasher, where hunger is growing, with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warning of a deteriorating situation that is putting even more civilians’ lives at risk. OCHA’s Director of Operations and Advocacy, Edem Wosornu, who is currently in the country, said the suffering is immense, with people […]
According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) platform, two out of three famine thresholds for food consumption have been breached across most of Gaza, with acute malnutrition levels in Gaza City confirming aid agencies’ repeated warnings. “Mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths,” the […]
The development comes as UN Secretary-General António Guterres cautioned that conflict-driven hunger is spreading “from Gaza to Sudan and beyond”. “Hunger fuels instability and undermines peace. We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war,” he said in a video message to the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake in Addis Ababa. Meanwhile, citing reports […]
In an update on Friday, OCHA said that the starvation crisis is deepening across the enclave, with the local health authorities announcing that two more people had died from starvation the previous day. Hunger and malnutrition increase the risk of illnesses that weaken the immune system, particularly among women, children, older people and persons with […]
Philippe Lazzarini posted on social media saying that aid distribution “has become a death trap,” citing reports from international medical staff on the ground and local health authorities who reported at least 31 deaths and more than 150 injured as civilians were lining up to receive aid from the Israel and United States-backed Gaza Humanitarian […]
Sigrid Kaag, interim UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said that the man-made crisis unfolding in Gaza has plunged civilians into “an abyss.” “Since the collapse of the ceasefire in March, civilians have constantly come under fire, confined to ever-shrinking spaces, and deprived of lifesaving relief,” she said. “Israel must halt its […]
“Goods indispensable for people’s survival are either depleted or expected to run out in the coming weeks…The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity,” said the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) platform. In its latest update, the IPC estimated that one in five people in Gaza – 500,000 – faces starvation. Prices have […]
Speaking from Gaza City OCHA spokesperson Olga Cherevko told journalists in Geneva that a friend of hers “saw people burning a few days ago from the explosions – and there was no water to save them.” Since all entry points into the war-torn enclave were “sealed by the Israeli authorities for the entry of cargo” […]
The Security Council will meet on Tuesday to discuss the situation in the Middle East, with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot presiding. The UN Secretary-General is expected to brief ambassadors as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, with reports from the UN Palestine refugee relief agency (UNRWA) this morning that children are “going to bed […]