875 Dead Seeking Food: Global Food Crisis Update
gaza Faces Catastrophic hunger as UN Warns of Escalating Violence in West Bank
Gaza, Palestine – The United Nations is sounding the alarm over a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where civilians attempting too access food distribution sites are reportedly being killed by gunshot wounds, while malnutrition rates, particularly among children, are soaring. Concurrently, the occupied West Bank is experiencing a surge in violence, with UN agencies highlighting the killing of Palestinians by Israeli security forces adn settlers, alongside widespread displacement.
Deadly Hunger Grips Gaza
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, has expressed profound concern regarding the ongoing deaths of civilians seeking sustenance. Survivors, including starving children, have recounted being shot at while trying to obtain meager food supplies.
“Our teams on the ground – UNRWA teams and other United Nations teams - have spoken to survivors of these killings, these starving children included, who were shot at while on their way to pick up very little food,” stated Juliette Touma, UNRWA Director of Communications.
Speaking from Amman, Ms. Touma emphasized that the near-total Israeli blockade of Gaza has resulted in infant deaths due to severe acute malnutrition. She reported that UNRWA has been prevented from delivering humanitarian assistance into Gaza for over four months,leading to a “important increase” in child malnutrition since the blockade’s inception on March 2.
“We have 6,000 trucks waiting in places like Egypt, like Jordan; it’s from Jordan to the Gaza Strip it’s a three-hour drive, right?” Ms. Touma questioned, highlighting the logistical ease with which aid could be delivered if permitted.These stalled UN trucks carry not only essential food supplies but also vital necessities like soap. “Medicine and food are going to soon expire if we’re not able to get those supplies to people in Gaza who need it most, among them one million children who are half of the population of the Gaza Strip,” she warned.
West Bank: ‘Silent War is Surging’
In parallel, the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is witnessing a disturbing escalation of violence. UN agencies report that Palestinians are being killed in incidents allegedly linked to Israeli settlers and security forces.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) documented the killing of two-year-old Laila Khatib, who was shot in the head by Israeli security forces on January 25 while inside her home in Ash-Shuhada village, Jenin. Another incident involved the death of 61-year-old Walid Badir on July 3, reportedly shot by Israeli security forces while cycling home from prayers near the Nur Shams camp. these events are indicative of intensifying “killings, attacks and harassment of Palestinians in past weeks,” according to the UN rights office.
The OHCHR also noted the demolition of hundreds of homes and the forced mass displacement of Palestinians. Approximately 30,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced as the commencement of Israel’s operation “Iron Wall” in the northern occupied West Bank earlier this year.
“We should recall that international law is very clear about this in terms of the obligations of the occupying power,” stated Mr. Al-Kheetan from OHCHR. “Bringing about a permanent demographic change inside the occupied territory may amount to a war crime and is tantamount to ethnic cleansing.”
Ms.Touma of UNRWA described the situation in the West Bank as a “silent war that is surging,” characterized by severe restrictions on movement, escalating poverty, and soaring unemployment as livelihoods are cut off. The Israeli military operation, primarily focused on the northern West Bank, has significantly impacted refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams.
“It is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the west Bank since 1967,” Ms. Touma concluded, underscoring the severe and far-reaching consequences of the ongoing conflict.