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Foreign food assistance

Gaza Strip Faces Desperate Reality of Hunger and Food Shortages

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Gaza Strip, home to over 2 million people, is experiencing its longest blockade since the start of the war in October 2023, with aid supplies blocked for nearly two months. Humanitarian organizations, including the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN agency that assists Palestine refugees (UNRWA), report that food stocks are exhausted, and aid is piling up at border crossings. Surviving on one meal a day, families are forced to ration meager food supplies, leading to hunger and malnutrition spreading rapidly in the enclave.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Gaza Strip has been under a full blockade since March 2, with no humanitarian or commercial supplies entering the territory.
  • Food prices have surged by 1,400% compared to the ceasefire period, leading to severe shortages and increased hunger.
  • Over 10,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children have been identified since January, including 1,600 cases of severe acute malnutrition.
  • Humanitarian partners warn that the nutrition situation is worsening, with treatment supplies remaining available in the south but access being extremely challenging due to operational and security restrictions.
  • Aid is piling up at border crossings, with nearly 3,000 UNRWA trucks and over 116,000 metric tonnes of food assistance waiting to enter the Gaza Strip.
  • The World Health Organization (WHO) has run out of therapeutic milk, intravenous antibiotics, and painkillers, as well as spare parts for ambulances and oxygen stations.

Statistics:

  • Over 2 million people in the Gaza Strip depend on aid.
  • Food prices have surged by 1,400% compared to the ceasefire period.
  • 10,000 cases of acute malnutrition among children have been identified since January, including 1,600 cases of severe acute malnutrition.
  • Nearly 3,000 UNRWA trucks of aid are waiting to enter the Gaza Strip.
  • Over 116,000 metric tonnes of food assistance are waiting to enter the Gaza Strip.

Sources:

  • United Nations
  • UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East)
  • World Food Programme (WFP)
  • World Health Organization (WHO)
  • OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs)

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