UNRWA: hunger still threatens 1.6 million people in Gaza

The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Phillipe Lazzarini, warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip remains extremely serious thanks to Israel’s genocide.

Gaza: the situation is still extremely serious says UNRWA

He stressed that some 1.6 million Palestinians continue to suffer from acute and dangerous levels of food insecurity, despite the fact that several months have passed since the ceasefire came into effect. He explained that the cessation of military operations has not yet had a sufficient impact on the lives of the population, given the continuing restrictions on the entry of basic humanitarian aid.

In a press statement, UNRWA’s Lazzarini said that the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification reports reveal that the limited improvement recorded since the ceasefire began last October remains extremely fragile and could collapse at any moment. He added that these indicators confirm that the population of the Strip remains on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe, with severe shortages of food, water and basic services.

The UNRWA Commissioner-General stressed that ending this crisis requires urgent action, namely the immediate and unrestricted entry of humanitarian supplies and the ability of relief workers to operate freely and safely within the Strip. He stressed that any delay in this regard would exacerbate the suffering of civilians, especially children, women, and older people.

Lazzarini pointed out that UNRWA currently has a large stockpile of aid, including food parcels sufficient to feed around 1.1 million people for an appropriate period of time, as well as quantities of flour sufficient to cover the needs of the entire population of the Gaza Strip. However, according to him, this aid remains stuck outside the Strip, awaiting the necessary approvals for its entry.

He concluded by emphasising that the international community must shoulder its moral and humanitarian responsibilities and work seriously to ensure that aid reaches those who deserve it and prevent the situation from deteriorating to even more dangerous levels.

Featured image via the Canary