'Every single person in Gaza' is grappling with hunger: UN
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A quarter of the 2.2 million population is starving and struggling to find food and drinkable water, and famine is imminent.
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A Palestinian child eats amid the rubble of destroyed residential buildings following Israeli bombardment in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on December 29, 2023. (AFP via Getty Images)
Out of 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza, every single one of them is grappling with hunger and food insecurity, UN human rights experts warned, while calling for the deliveries of sufficient aid to face the challenge of possible starvation among the entire population.
On Wednesday, UN experts shared that “every single person in Gaza is hungry, a quarter of the population are starving and struggling to find food and drinkable water, and famine is imminent. Pregnant women are not receiving adequate nutrition and healthcare, putting their lives at risk.”
A total of 335,000 children under five also lack the needed nutrients, putting them at risk of suffering from physical stunting.
UN personnel accused "Israel" of weaponizing starvation against the Gazan population and destroying Gaza's food system. They regarded the warmongers' tactics as "unprecedented" as no other entity was known to starve an entire people at such a rapid rate.
Statistics also showed that 80% of people struggling with famine are situated in Gaza, exhibiting just how catastrophic the humanitarian crisis inflicted by "Israel" has gotten.
The UN has also warned against the Israeli genocide in Gaza, emphasizing that it has not begun since October 7, but has been slowly materializing due to "Israel's" harsh embargo on the Strip.
“Not only is Israel killing and causing irreparable harm against Palestinian civilians with its indiscriminate bombardments, it is also knowingly and intentionally imposing a high rate of disease, prolonged malnutrition, dehydration, and starvation by destroying civilian infrastructure,” they said, affirming that aid needs to be delivered without any obstacle or challenge to ensure the protection and health safety of Palestinians.
The experts then echoed their many calls for a ceasefire, affirming that only through the cessation of Israeli attacks will stability and peace be achieved in Gaza.
Read more: Famine in Gaza 'turning children into skeletons': Reports
IOF prevent aid flow to Gaza
On Tuesday, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that the occupation has been denying access to aid missions delivering medicine and fuel to the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
In the first two weeks of January, according to OCHA, only 24% of planned aid missions delivering basic human needs from food, medicine, and water were able to enter Gaza.
In addition, around 95% of missions involving the allocation of fuel and medicines to water reservoirs were stopped and denied access to enter by the occupation. Out of the latter, five missions were to aid the Central Drug Store, four to Jabalia Medical Center, and eight to aid four critical reservoirs and water and waste pumps.
In at least two reported instances, occupation forces detained and attacked convoy members. This, along with the deliberate prevention of aid by the occupation, shows that the behavior of the IOF is compromising the capacity of humanitarian agencies to operate safely and effectively, according to OCHA.
