A dire situation is unfolding in Gaza as a senior UN aid official issues a grave warning that half of the region’s population is on the brink of starvation amidst ongoing conflict.
Carl Skau, Deputy Director of the UN World Food Programme, revealed that only a fraction of the necessary supplies has managed to enter Gaza, leaving nine out of ten people unable to secure daily meals.
The challenging conditions in Gaza have made the delivery of essential aid “almost impossible,” according to Mr. Skau.
Despite the urgency of the humanitarian crisis, movement in and out of Gaza has been severely restricted since October 7.
The Hamas-run health ministry reports a significant number of casualties, including a devastating toll on children.
International pressure and a brief ceasefire had allowed some aid to enter Gaza, but the World Food Programme insists that a second border crossing is imperative to meet the growing demand.
Mr. Skau, reflecting on his recent visit to Gaza, expressed shock at the desperation and chaos witnessed by his team. Warehouses and distribution points were in disarray, supermarkets had empty shelves, and shelters were overcrowded with hungry people.
In some areas, nine out of ten families are enduring entire days and nights without any food. The situation in Khan Younis, surrounded by Israeli tanks on two fronts, is particularly dire.
Dr Ahmed Moghrabi, Head of the Plastic Surgery and Burns Unit at Nasser hospital, described the heart-wrenching reality of not being able to provide basic necessities for his own daughter.
“I have a daughter, three years old, always she asks me for some sweets, some apple, some fruits. I can’t provide. I feel helpless,” he shared. “There is not enough food, only rice, can you believe? We eat once a day, only.”
Khan Younis, a recent target of heavy airstrikes, is overwhelmed with casualties, with hospital staff struggling to cope with the rising numbers of dead and wounded.
The plea for urgent assistance in Gaza grows louder as the humanitarian crisis deepens.
