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Agricultural associations

Gaza on Brink of Starvation as Israeli Aid Restrictions Severely Deplete Food Intake

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The Gaza Strip, home to 2.1 million Palestinians, is teetering on the edge of starvation due to severely limited food intake caused by ongoing Israeli aid restrictions. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a Rome-based UN agency, has warned that daily energy intake has plummeted to 1,400 calories per person, a mere 67% of the required 2,300 calories for human survival. This dire situation is a direct result of the Israeli blockade, which has prohibited the entry of essential food items, including wheat flour, pulses, rice, dairy products, and vegetable oil.

Key Takeaways:

  • The average Gazan consumes just 1,400 calories per day, 67% of the required 2,300 calories for human survival.
  • The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimates that 2,297 tonnes (120 trucks) of food are required daily to deliver 2,100 calories per person to the entire Gaza population.
  • The ongoing aid restrictions imposed by Israel have resulted in 52,400 Palestinians reported killed and another 11,000 feared missing, since the start of the conflict in October 2023.
  • More than 60,000 children have been born in the Gaza Strip during the conflict, but an unknown number of Palestinians have died from indirect causes, such as hunger, untreated diseases, or injuries.
  • According to The Lancet, up to 186,000 people may die from indirect causes due to the conflict, at a conservative rate of four indirect deaths for every direct death.

Statistics:

  • 2,297 tonnes of food are required daily to deliver 2,100 calories per person to the entire Gaza population.
  • 52,400 Palestinians reported killed and another 11,000 feared missing, since the start of the conflict in October 2023.
  • 1,400 calories per person, as of May, representing 67% of the required 2,300 calories for human survival.
  • 2.1 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip, down from 2.23 million in October 2023.
  • 60,000 children born in the Gaza Strip during the conflict.

Sources:

  • Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
  • The Lancet
  • UN-backed food security experts
  • International Court of Justice
  • Palestinian authorities
  • June 2024 article by The Lancet
  • United Nations

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