The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has sounded the alarm on the food insecurity crisis in the northern Gaza Strip, declaring the situation as “extremely critical” due to restrictions on humanitarian aid delivery. According to the agency, Israeli authorities have denied access for 51% of planned missions to deliver aid and conduct assessments in the region, resulting in a severe shortage of essential supplies.
The number of trucks entering Gaza falls significantly below the target of 500 per day, posing significant challenges in sending supplies through the Kerem Shalom and Rafah crossings. As a result, approximately 400,000 people in the northern Gaza Strip are at risk of starvation, prompting UNRWA to call on international institutions to step up their assistance, particularly in the affected areas.
In response to the dire situation, the media office of the Hamas-run government in Gaza has urged the World Food Program (WFP) to reconsider its decision to suspend food aid delivery in the northern Gaza Strip. The government’s press statement described the decision as “sentencing death to 75 per cent of a million people and further deteriorates the humanitarian situation exponentially”.
Following WFP’s announcement of pausing food aid deliveries, the organization emphasized that the decision was made to ensure the safety and security of their staff and the people they are trying to reach. The WFP stated that “the safety and security to deliver critical food aid — and for the people receiving it — must be ensured,” underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The UNRWA’s warning of “extremely critical” food insecurity in the northern Gaza Strip highlights the urgent need for international assistance to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. With restrictions on aid delivery exacerbating the situation, the lives of hundreds of thousands of people are at risk, necessitating a swift and effective response from international organizations and the global community at large to address this crisis.
