WFP warns of deaths from hunger as Israel persists in blocking aid

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached a “critical point”, telling Al Jazeera that it has already depleted its remaining food stocks and is now unable to feed the population, the Palestinian Information Centre has reported.

WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa said on Wednesday that around 700,000 people used to receive meals each day from the programme, but Israel’s blocking of humanitarian aid from going into Gaza means that such food support has stopped.

Etefa added that many trucks carrying aid are now stranded at the Gaza border crossings without being able to enter in order for the programme to resume serving meals to the hungry. “We may see deaths from malnutrition as the crossings remain closed,” she warned.

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During the brief truce earlier this year, the WFP managed to deliver between 30,000 and 40,000 tons of aid. However, that flow of aid has been blocked completely, leaving the Palestinians in the enclave at increasing risk of famine.

In the same context, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) has described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic on all levels” due to the Israeli blockade that prevents the entry of humanitarian and medical supplies.

MSF emergency director Claire Nicolet told the media that the International Court of Justice decision to start advisory proceedings regarding Israel’s obligations as an occupying power to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Palestinians in Gaza would take time that they simply don’t have.

Nicolet accused Israel of using aid as a “weapon of war and a means of collective punishment,” adding that, “Since 2 March, Israel’s complete blockade on the entry of humanitarian aid and supplies has had deadly consequences for civilians and has crippled the ability of medical and aid workers to respond meaningfully. MSF teams on the ground are witnessing critical shortages of medical supplies and food. Governments must increase pressure on Israeli authorities to lift the blockade and allow large-scale humanitarian access to this devastated area, to prevent further suffering and loss of life.”

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