A dire situation is unfolding in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza, where a blockade enforced by Israel has led to a severe shortage of food, water, fuel, medical supplies, and other aid. Despite claims from Israeli officials that there is no shortage of aid, humanitarian agencies have warned that supplies are dwindling rapidly.
Humanitarian groups, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and Medical Aid for Palestinians, describe a spiraling crisis on the ground. Bakeries have been shuttered for weeks due to a lack of wheat, food parcels for families are running out, and medical supplies are drying up.
“Scraping the barrel,” Liz Allcock, head of humanitarian protection at Medical Aid for Palestinians, told NBC News, “We’re really scraping the barrel in terms of being able to provide anything of substance.”
The WFP has exhausted its stocks of food parcels for distribution and has only around 1,000 tons of hot meals commodities left. The organization’s spokesperson, Abeer Etefa, warned that the situation is dire and worsening, with all WFP-supported bakeries closing after wheat flour ran out in March.
Meanwhile, medical supplies are running low, while casualties continue to fill hospitals. Israeli military activity across the enclave is affecting humanitarian groups’ ability to deliver aid, with the blockade coming just more than two weeks before Israel shattered its ceasefire with Hamas last month.
Israel’s policy on aid has been criticized for undermining efforts to provide humanitarian assistance. The country claims that its blockade is crucial to weakening Hamas’ control over the population, but there is no evidence to support this claim.
According to data published by COGAT, the Israeli military’s liaison with the Palestinians, 25,200 aid trucks entered Gaza during the ceasefire, carrying more than 447,500 tons of aid. However, the blockade has severely impacted the ability of humanitarian groups to provide assistance, leading to soaring prices for basic necessities.
Families across Gaza are struggling to survive, with many reporting a lack of access to food, water, school, and even clothes. As officials debate the reality of the situation on the ground, it is clear that the blockade has had devastating consequences for the Palestinian population.
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/gaza-aid-shortage-israel-blockade-hunger-rcna201379