'Israel' 'intentionally' starving Gazans, destroying food system: UN
4 Min Read
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food describes the occupation's deliberate starvation of Palestinians as "unprecedented".
-
Palestinians line up for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Dec. 21, 2023 (AP)
UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Michael Fakhri warned on social media yesterday that "Israel" is intentionally starving Gazans and destroying its food system, describing the occupation's deliberate starvation of Palestinians as "unprecedented".
“It’s unprecedented to make an entire civilian population go hungry this completely and quickly. Israel is destroying Gaza’s food system. Israel is intentionally imposing a high rate of disease, prolonged malnutrition, dehydration, and starvation by destroying civilian infrastructure," he said.
The UN revealed in a report last week that Gazans now make up 80 percent of all people facing famine or catastrophic hunger worldwide in what UN human rights experts categorized as an “unparalleled humanitarian crisis.”
“Currently 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,” the report said while also voicing concerns over pregnant women as they are not receiving nutrition and healthcare.
In addition, all children under five, who amount to 335,000, are at high risk of severe malnutrition as the starvation war by the occupation of Gazans continues, according to the report, which also warned that a "whole generation is now in danger of suffering from stunting."
Approximately 22 percent of agricultural land, including orchards, greenhouses, and farmland in northern Gaza, has been razed by the IOF, and 70 percent of Gaza's fishing fleet has been destroyed, according to the report.
“Most bakeries are not operational, due to the lack of fuel, water, and wheat flour along with structural damage. Livestock are starving and unable to provide food or be a source of food. Meanwhile, access to safe water continues to diminish while the healthcare system has collapsed due to the widespread destruction of hospitals, significantly heightening the spread of communicable diseases,” the report stated.
The UN said before October 7 that the 17-year Israeli all-out blockade on Gaza made approximately half of the people in Gaza food insecure and more than 80 percent reliant on humanitarian aid.
“Aid needs to be delivered to Gazans immediately and without any hindrance to prevent starvation,” the UN report added.
Read more: 'Israel' murdered 11,000 children in Gaza in 108 days
A complete siege
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated on January 16 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.
Other UN agencies, the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund(UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO), urged the opening of new routes that would allow the passage of humanitarian aid while ensuring the safety of Palestinians and aid workers.
