Oxfam sounds the alarm: People in north Gaza surviving on 245 cal/day
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Oxfam's latest findings paint a grim picture of the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
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Ten-year-old Palestinian boy, Yazan al-Kafarneh, forcibly displaced from Beit Hanun and suffering from a pre-existing condition, lies on a hospital bed at the Al-Awda clinic in Rafah; he died on March 4 from severe malnourishment and insufficient healthcare (AFP)
The charity Oxfam has determined that individuals in Gaza are being compelled to subsist on only 245 calories per day, which is less than 12% of the average daily human intake required.
This amount is reported to be lower than the calorific value of a single can of fava beans.
Furthermore, Oxfam noted that over 300,000 people are estimated to remain besieged in northern Gaza, notably after "Israel" decided to obstruct UNRWA's aid delivery to the region.
It is worth noting that Oxfam's assessment is based on the most recent data utilized in the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis for Gaza.
A coalition of aid organizations has previously cautioned about an impending famine in northern Gaza. Oxfam further highlighted that the total food shipments allowed into Gaza for the entire population, since last October, equated to an average of just 41% of the daily calories required per person. The organization asserted that less than half of the necessary number of food trucks required to fulfill the daily intake of 2,100 calories for everyone is currently entering Gaza.
In a statement, Oxfam cited a mother besieged in northern Gaza, who said, "Before the war, we were in good health and had strong bodies. Now, looking at my children and myself, we have lost so much weight since we do not eat any proper food, we are trying to eat whatever we find – edible wild plants or herbs daily just to survive."
On his part, Oxfam International Executive Director Amitabh Behar said, "Israel is making deliberate choices to starve civilians. Imagine what it is like, not only to be trying to survive on 245 calories day in, day out, but also having to watch your children or elderly relatives do the same. All while displaced, with little to no access to clean water or a toilet, knowing most medical support has gone and under the constant threat of drones and bombs."
Four, including 2 children, die of malnutrition, dehydration in Gaza
Four Palestinians died of famine, on March 31, at Kamal Adwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip, bringing the total number of Palestinians who have fallen victim to malnutrition and dehydration to 34.
The US State Department shyly admitted lately that famine "likely" exists in at least some regions of northern Gaza, with other areas at risk of plunging into starvation conditions.
Washington's statements clearly contradict Israeli allegations that sufficient food and other aid are being allowed into Gaza. Last week, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed that Israeli occupation forces had definitively barred the agency from making aid deliveries in northern Gaza.
The US warning closely follows a ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, which also cautioned that famine was becoming a reality in some areas in the Gaza Strip.
