On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the pressing need to ramp up humanitarian aid delivery to the Palestinian territory, citing “severe levels of acute food insecurity” affecting the entire population of Gaza.
In a press conference in Manila with his Philippine counterpart, Foreign Minister Josep Borrell, Blinken was asked about steps the United States might take to increase access to Gaza. “There are profound security considerations in an active war zone, but we have to ensure that people can access the aid they need. I think it’s important for every state to see protecting civilians as their highest priority,” he said.
He was referring to a new report by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization that says nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents now live in an area classified as being in a “catastrophic” phase of hunger. That is the most severe level, meaning they face an extreme lack of food and high levels of malnutrition. The report warns that famine could strike the northern part of Gaza between now and May.
The IPC report notes that people in Gaza normally rely on humanitarian assistance, local markets and support from relatives for their food. However, with these sources of nutrition now disrupted by the ongoing fighting, households are having to skimp on meals or even skip them to make ends meet. This could have long-term health consequences for mothers, infants, and children.
The report cites evidence that the conflict has caused dramatic increases in diarrhea, skin and respiratory infections, and other diseases. Hunger weakens the body’s defenses, making weakened bodies more susceptible to infection. It also leads to malnutrition, which makes it difficult to recover from disease and can lead to death.
It recommends a range of solutions, including restoring humanitarian access to all governorates of the Gaza Strip and addressing urgent issues like reopening the Port of Ashdod to exponentially increase food supplies. It also cites the need to restore markets such as bakeries and agricultural production systems like fishing and horticulture, which the ongoing fighting has badly damaged.
Oxfam calls on Israel to end its military assault, to reopen Gaza’s crossing points so aid can be delivered, and to allow Gaza’s residents to return to their homes. It also urges donors to increase their contributions and push for a permanent ceasefire that fully restates Gaza’s economy.
The Israeli invasion of Gaza started on 7 October and has seen thousands killed and vast swathes of the besieged enclave destroyed. The attack on Friday on a UN school, in which at least 14 children were killed and dozens injured, will go down as one of the most brutal massacres in modern times. The killings of those children and babies were a sickening act of evil and should serve as a wake-up call to the free world.