More than 500,000 people are starving in the Gaza Strip due to the “inadequate” amount of food entering it since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7, according to a report by 23 United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations. published Thursday.
The situation in which the population of Gaza finds itself is alarming. Nearly one in four people are going hungry right now, says Arif Husain, chief economist of the World Food Program. If the war between Israel and Hamas continues at the same pace and food deliveries are not restored, the population of this Palestinian territory could face famine within the next six months, accompanied by numerous epidemics.
According to the report, the entire population of Gaza, 2.2 million people, is in a food crisis or worse: 478,000 people are in crisis, 1.17 million in emergency and 577,000 in a catastrophic situation, that is to say in a famine situation.
Food deliveries to Gaza are largely insufficient. Before the Israeli military campaign against Hamas militants began, two-thirds of the population depended on humanitarian aid. According to WFP food security experts, Gaza residents have exhausted all their resources, bakeries have been destroyed and businesses are empty, leaving people without a way to obtain food.
These alarming figures should not be taken lightly. It is urgent that the international community act quickly to put an end to this food crisis in the Gaza Strip. This will require a significant increase in food deliveries and unhindered access to humanitarian assistance to save lives and alleviate the suffering of thousands of hungry people.