Famine
UNITED NATIONS: A dire situation is unfolding in the Gaza Strip, with at least 576,000 people, constituting one-quarter of the population, on the brink of famine, according to a senior UN aid official’s warning to the Security Council.
The official, Ramesh Rajasingham, director of coordination for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, stressed that widespread famine could become “almost inevitable” without urgent intervention.
Notably, one in six children under the age of 2 in northern Gaza is suffering from acute malnutrition and wasting. The entire population of 2.3 million people in the Palestinian enclave relies on what Rajasingham described as “woefully inadequate” food aid for survival.
The World Food Programme (WFP) stands ready to expand its operations swiftly if a ceasefire agreement is reached.
However, the risk of famine is exacerbated by challenges in bringing critical food supplies into Gaza in sufficient quantities and the difficult operating conditions faced by WFP staff on the ground, according to WFP Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau.
The conflict in Gaza originated when Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7, resulting in casualties and hostages.
The subsequent Israeli air and ground campaign in Gaza has taken a devastating toll, causing the death of approximately 30,000 Palestinians, as reported by health authorities in the Hamas-run enclave.
The urgency of the humanitarian crisis underscores the need for immediate action to avert a larger catastrophe.
