UN Food Aid Exhausted in Gaza Amid Two-Month Israeli Blockade
Gaza Strip: The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) announced on Friday that it has completely run out of food supplies in Gaza, nearly two months after Israel imposed a comprehensive humanitarian blockade on the besieged territory.
The agency stated that its final food stocks were delivered to kitchens within Gaza on Friday, and these kitchens are expected to deplete their remaining supplies in the coming days. This cessation of aid delivery leaves a critical lifeline severed for a significant portion of the Gazan population.
"For weeks, hot meal kitchens have been the only consistent source of food assistance for people in Gaza," the WFP emphasized in a statement. Despite reaching only half of the population with a mere 25% of their daily food needs, these kitchens had provided essential sustenance.
Israel initiated its humanitarian blockade of Gaza on March 2nd, cutting off the flow of vital food, medical supplies, and other essential aid to the over two million Palestinians residing in the territory. Israel maintains that the blockade, alongside its intensified military operations, is intended to pressure Hamas to accept a US-backed ceasefire proposal.
Adding to concerns, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir indicated a potential escalation, stating during a visit to Gaza on Thursday, "If we do not see progress in the return of the hostages, we will expand our activity into a more intense and significant operation."
Despite the dire situation, the United States has indicated it will not pressure Israel to allow more humanitarian aid into Gaza. This stance was highlighted by the new US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Hucakbee, who reportedly told a UN World Health Organization official that he would not intervene to open the borders.
The ongoing blockade has severely exacerbated Gaza's already precarious humanitarian crisis, with the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) having warned earlier in April of an imminent famine. The PRCS reported that most essential commodities, including flour, sugar, and cooking oil, have vanished from Gaza's markets.
The WFP revealed that over 116,000 metric tons of food are currently waiting at aid corridors outside of Gaza, ready for distribution by the WFP and its partners. These supplies, enough to feed one million people for up to four months, remain unable to enter as long as the borders remain closed.
"The situation inside the Gaza Strip has once again reached a breaking point: people are running out of ways to cope, and the fragile gains made during the short ceasefire have unravelled," the WFP concluded, painting a grim picture of the rapidly deteriorating conditions within the blockaded territory.
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