How can world remain 'silent', 'indifferent' on Gaza: UN expert
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Aid agencies continue to accuse Israeli authorities of frequently preventing them from delivering aid to Gaza, worsening the situation in the already blockaded enclave.
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Palestinian children suffering from malnutrition or chronic diseases wait with family members at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on June 24, 2024. (AFP)
The UN's Special Rapporteur on Palestine, Francesca Albanese questioned on Friday how the world could remain "silent" or "indifferent" to the war on Gaza, where the Israeli occupation has killed over 38,000 Palestinians and left the majority of the population displaced and in extreme hunger.
Last month, approximately 50 children experienced malnutrition and starvation in the northern area of the region due to the Israeli total blockade on Gaza, said Husam Abu Safiya, the director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan Hospital.
6-months old Fayez Ataya & 13yo Abdulqader Al-Serhi are two of the latest victims of the FAMINE that Israel's STARVATION campaign has caused in Gaza.
— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt (@FranceskAlbs) July 5, 2024
How can we remain silent, indifferent, or inactive in the face of this abominable injustice, and not feel hypocritical when… https://t.co/7o2BZoZWdH
Albanese questioned how the world could remain “silent, indifferent, or inactive in the face of this abominable injustice, and not feel hypocritical when commemorating the victims of any other genocide?”
Albanese's comments were in reaction to a post by Michael Fakhri, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, who wrote, "Famine in Gaza has spread from the north to the entire Strip," adding that “Every Palestinian in Gaza is now facing famine because of Israel’s intentional and targeted starvation campaign."
Read more: US responsible for continued Israeli starvation policy in Gaza: Hamas
Fakhri pointed to the deaths of newborn Fayez Ataya who died on May 30 and Abdulqader al-Serhi, a 13-year-old who died on June 1.
"Both children died from starvation. There is therefore no doubt that famine has spread across all of Gaza," Fakhri explained, detailing how the death of a child is indicative that "health and social structures have been attacked, critically weakened.”
“When the first child dies from malnutrition and dehydration, it’s irrefutable that famine has taken hold,” Fakhri reported.
He stated that the first reports of starving deaths came from northern Gaza. On February 24, Mahmoud Fattouh, a one-month-old baby, died, while 10-year-old Yazan al-Kafarneh died on March 4, and they "both were starved by Israel," the UN expert affirmed.
"The whole world should've stopped Israel's genocidal starvation campaign to prevent these deaths," according to Fakhri.
Humanitarian aid groups claim Israeli officials routinely hinder them from sending supplies to Gaza, exacerbating the already dire situation in the region.
96% of Gaza population suffering from food insecurity: PRCS
Most hospitals in the Gaza Strip are no longer operational because of the continuous aggression. In the Gaza Strip, 96% of people live in extreme food insecurity, as confirmed by the Palestine Red Crescent (PRCS) on the X platform.
PRCS: The ongoing aggression on the Gaza Strip has put most hospitals out of service. 96% of the population of the Gaza Strip suffers from severe food insecurity.
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) July 4, 2024
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In an interview for the BBC, PRCS Spokesperson Nebal Farsakh discussed the orders issued for the evacuation of 250,000 residents from Khan Younis.
Nebal Farsakh, PRCS Spokesperson, speaks in an interview with the BBC about the evacuation orders for 250,000 civilians in Khan Yunis. She said “families who are being forced to move again are exhausted, traumatized, and suffering from ongoing fear, stress, and uncertainty."… pic.twitter.com/baOislhNZN
— PRCS (@PalestineRCS) July 3, 2024
She said that "families who are being forced to move again are exhausted, traumatized, and suffering from ongoing fear, stress, and uncertainty."
