Famine in all of Gaza 'an established fact': US humanitarian envoy

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: News websites
11 Apr 2024 13:32
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David Satterfield has warned of the catastrophic consequences of the Rafah offensive amid the threat of famine in all of Gaza.

Palestinians line up for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip, Friday, February 16, 2024 (AP)

The US humanitarian envoy in Gaza affirmed that famine looms over all 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza.

David Satterfield, who extensively served in the Middle East, said, “This is not a point in debate. It is an established fact, which the United States, its experts, the international community, its experts assess and believe is real."

During a briefing hosted by the American Jewish Committee, he stated that the ongoing dehumanization of Palestinians cannot continue, regardless of the events of October 7 and its effects on settler society and the capturing of captives.

Famine threatens the 300,000 Palestinians in northern Gaza, he highlighted, as "Israel" deliberately prevents aid deliveries and intentionally starves civilians in the territory.

Satterfield also noted that Rafah, in addition to the north, is currently facing the most devastating humanitarian challenge in Gaza, describing the southern region that was once dubbed a "safe zone" by the Israelis as "a miserable place to be from any health-related, shelter-related standpoint."

According to the diplomat, aid workers have relayed that the sanitary conditions in Rafah were non-existent, unprecedented, and had never been seen before.

“The ability to do more than survival-level feeding — simply averting starvation… is extraordinarily limited. Just because we are averting famine by the collective aid efforts moving in doesn’t mean we’re preventing other problems malnutrition… and mortality among infants and young children,” he said.

Amid the Israeli, US-backed plot to "evacuate" Rafah before invading it, Satterfield warned against the "disastrous" consequences of further displacing already-displaced, starving, and injured Palestinians without accounting for medical care, water and food availabilities, and shelter security.

Rafah invasion greenlit by the US

Previously, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres lamented the situation in Rafah and warned that any plans for an offensive on Rafah would be devastating for the area that holds 1.5 million people displaced from elsewhere in Gaza.

"Nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people in Israel’s military response," he underlined.

"The situation in Gaza is an appalling indictment of the deadlock in global relations. The level of death and destruction is shocking in itself," the UN chief added at the Munich Security Conference.

"Rafah is at the core of the entire humanitarian aid operation," he warned again. "An all-out offensive on the city would be devastating for Palestinian civilians who are already on the edge of survival."

As the United States criticizes the Israeli plan to invade Rafah and warns of subsequent consequences, it has simultaneously approved billions of dollars worth of bombs and fighter jets for the occupation, The Washington Post reported.

The Washington Post revealed, citing Pentagon and State Department officials, that the new military package consists of 1,800 units of MK-84 2,000-pound bombs, 500 of the MK-82 500-pound bombs, and 25 F-35 fighter jets. The latter is part of a previously approved arms package, and this marks the third 25-jet batch, mounting the F-35 fleet size to 75.

"Israel's" already massive arsenal has been boosted by the United States, facilitating the expected attack on Rafah.