Aid organizations have warned that due to the tightening of the blockade on Gaza City in northern Gaza, as part of the Israeli occupation’s crimes, food supplies have run out, increasing the risk of starvation for the residents in the area. The only route for bringing food and humanitarian aid into Gaza City was the Kerem Shalom crossing. However, Israel closed this crossing on September 12 to further tighten the blockade. The World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations agency, stated that the entry of food and humanitarian supplies into Gaza City through the Kerem Shalom crossing has been halted. Consequently, UN agencies and international organizations have warned of the increased risk of starvation for over a million people living in the area.
Amjad Al-Shawa, the head of the Palestinian NGO Network working to provide food to Palestinians, said that until August 30, they were providing about 155,000 meals per day to the residents of Gaza City. However, he stated that this number had dropped to 59,000 after September 22. He also revealed that due to the depletion of ingredients needed for food preparation, public kitchens that were providing food to the residents in the area have been forced to close. Residents of Gaza City say their living conditions are deteriorating rapidly. Hundreds of thousands of people are migrating to areas considered safer due to the crimes committed by Israel in its occupation of the territory. “The situation is getting worse,” said Umm Zaki, a mother of five living in the city. She also mentioned that as food supplies are running out, prices have skyrocketed.
Gaza City authorities have reported that residents are also facing water shortages. The Gaza City Municipality revealed that residents receive less than 25% of their daily water needs. Additionally, due to fuel shortages, there are significant challenges in transporting water to the area. The WFP stated that Israel has also obstructed the movement of food and humanitarian supplies from southern Gaza to the north. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) disclosed that Israeli forces have denied 40% of the requests to transport food from southern to northern Gaza. “With the closure of Kerem Shalom, the number of people facing hunger has increased, and the lives of the remaining people are at greater risk,” said Ricardo Pires, spokesperson for UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund).
There is no system in place in Gaza City to treat those suffering from hunger and starvation. The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed that four health centers operating in the city have been forced to close in the past month. Consequently, the organization also disclosed that avenues for providing medical care to children suffering from malnutrition due to lack of nutritious food have been blocked.
