Dina Mahmoud (Gaza, London)
UN officials have warned that almost all residents of the Gaza Strip are suffering from hunger in light of the currently escalating humanitarian crisis resulting from the war that has been going on in the Strip for about three months, stressing that a large portion of the Palestinians in the Strip may face the risk of actual starvation.
The officials stressed that the catastrophic situation at this level, with more than 90% of Gaza’s population facing severe food insecurity, is the worst of its kind in the entire world, in light of the fact that this percentage is the largest ever recorded in Any specific spot or country on the surface of the Earth.
Arif Hussein, chief economist at the World Food Programme, pointed out that 80% of Gazans are now suffering from famine or a catastrophic pattern of hunger, which makes the current humanitarian crisis in the Strip, with a population of approximately 2.2 million people, described as “unrelevant.” unprecedented, which requires intensifying efforts to bring more food, water and fuel into it.
Hussein revealed that Gaza currently receives, at best, only between 25% and 30% of its food needs, stressing that the importance of distributing any relief supplies delivered to the Strip, and ensuring that they reach those who need them most, is not important. It is less important than the issue of introducing this aid in the first place. He stressed that distributing these relief materials and basic goods in a safe and comprehensive manner requires reaching a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, which will also open the door to bringing more aid. He pointed out that bringing food, for example, into Gaza, without being able to distribute it, makes its entry into The sector is almost worthless.
Hussein warned, in statements published by the American weekly magazine The New Yorker, that the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza will worsen, or even continue in its current state, making it likely that the Strip will witness famine in every sense of the word, within 6 months from now. The chief economist at the World Food Program stressed that he had not observed in any of the conflicts or crises that he has followed over the past two decades, a crisis similar to the one currently afflicting the Gaza Strip, whether in terms of its severity or accelerating its pace, as well as in terms of the total number of people who They suffer from it, calling for food supplies to enter the Strip regularly, through the various border crossings.
On the other hand, Hussein pointed out that children are always the most vulnerable to suffering from these crises, especially in light of the increasing risk of epidemic outbreaks in Gaza, due to the overcrowding of the population in a limited area of land, amid the deterioration of sanitation services, to the point where they are not available, Only one toilet for every 220 people, according to World Health Organization figures.
#Gazans #face #risk #starvation
