Palestinian Foreign Ministry urges UN to declare famine in Gaza
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The Palestinian Foreign Ministry says nearly 1.9 million displaced people are in shelter centers and are experiencing severe hunger.
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The headquarters of the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Ramallah (WAFA)
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has asked the UN to declare famine in the Gaza Strip, as the international body expresses deep worry about "Israel's" continuous attacks on the Strip.
The Ministry stated that “international reports show the spread of hunger among Palestinian families who spend entire days without food,” adding that more than a million people in Gaza are starving.
“Some 1.9 million displaced people are in shelter centers and are exposed to severe hunger and 50,000 pregnant women are in shelter centers without water, medicine, or health care."
According to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Gaza is home to four out of every five hungry people on the planet.
The UN Human Rights Office issued a statement warning against the increased attacks by "Israel", citing a worsening and already disastrous humanitarian situation.
The statement also detailed that the recent assaults have made it difficult for humanitarian aid to reach individuals in critical need.
All of Gaza faces 'crisis or worse' hunger level: UN
Last week, the UN's hunger monitoring system reported that every citizen in the besieged Gaza Strip will confront high levels of acute food insecurity over the next six weeks.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a five-scale food insecurity categorization, predicted in its "most likely scenario" that by February 7, "the entire population in the Gaza Strip (about 2.2 besieged people)" will be suffering from "crisis or worse" hunger.
"This is the highest share of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity that the IPC initiative has ever classified for any given area or country," the IPC stated.
Concerns are on the rise over Gazans who are subjected to daily bombing, food and water shortages, and mass displacement.
According to the report, by February 7, half of the population will be in the "emergency" phase, which includes severe acute malnutrition and excess mortality.
Last week, the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor published a new study on Tuesday, revealing distressing levels of starvation in the Palestinian Gaza Strip.
The study revealed that 71% of the Gaza population is grappling with acute hunger, while 98% is dealing with insufficient food intake. Additionally, 64% have turned to eating fruits, wild or raw food, and expired items as a means of alleviating hunger.
🚨 Alarming figures from @EuroMedHR study on hunger levels in Gaza set to be released tomorrow:
— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) December 18, 2023
71% of Gaza's population faces severe hunger, with 98% experiencing inadequate food consumption. 64% resort to consuming fruits, wild or
raw food, & expired items to alleviate hunger. pic.twitter.com/KWZ5niYo7j
WHO mission in Gaza reports 'rising desperation due to acute hunger'
The World Health Organization (WHO) disclosed over the weekend that it conducted missions to poorly functioning hospitals in northern Gaza.
The UN health agency, along with its partners, delivered aid, including fuel, to Al-Shifa hospital, which was once Gaza's largest and most advanced medical facility, according to WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Describing the observations during the December 23 mission, Tedros highlighted in a post on X the growing fear of starvation.
Rising desperation due to acute hunger witnessed during joint mission by @WHO, @UNOCHA, @UNICEF, @WCKitchen to hospitals in north #Gaza; partners demand immediate scale-up of food and water to ensure population health and stability.
— Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) December 24, 2023
On 23 December, WHO and partners visited, and… pic.twitter.com/uNQep7Ig6T
With no food, water, nearly 2mln Palestinians crowded in South Gaza
Struggling with a lack of sanitation, food, and water, more than 1.7 million Gazans are registered in southern shelters, including a few hundred thousand scattered on roadsides and in open areas having failed to find a place within shelters.
It is noteworthy that the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) confirmed in early December that almost 1.9 million people, approximately 80% of Gaza's population, have been internally displaced since the start of the Israeli aggression on the Strip on October 7.
Gemma Connell, a UN humanitarian team leader deployed in Gaza for several weeks, pointed out on Monday that Palestinians in Gaza who fled to areas claimed to be "safe" by the Israeli military found that only a small space remains for them in the densely populated Strip, Reuters reported.
Connell described the current situation as a "human chessboard" where thousands of people who have already been displaced are now finding that there is no guarantee that their next destination will be safe.
Rafah is currently Gaza's most densely inhabited region. Data show that UN shelters in Rafah house an average of more than 15,000 registered individuals, even though most shelters were meant for 2,000 people.
Relief group authorities say the region is not able to deliver basic amenities to the displaced. Its three hospitals are only partially operational, and those living in shelters live in crowded quarters with no food or water. On average, about 500 individuals share a single toilet.
