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Palestinian Arabs

Mass Starvation Spreads in Gaza as Aid Agencies Warn of "Horror Show"

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

More than 100 aid agencies have issued a dire warning that "mass starvation" is spreading across Gaza, with children telling their parents they want to go to heaven because at least heaven has food. The besieged strip is facing a growing man-made hunger crisis, with humanitarian aid stuck in warehouses and unable to reach those in need. The Israeli government's restrictions and delays have created chaos, starvation, and death, with aid workers describing the situation as a "horror show".

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 100 aid agencies, including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam International, and Amnesty International, have signed a letter warning of a "mass starvation" crisis in Gaza.
  • The Israeli government's restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death, with aid stuck in warehouses and unable to reach those in need.
  • Reports of people fainting from hunger on the long-walk towards aid distribution points and pictures of corpses with ribs jutting out have become commonplace in Gaza.
  • Daily aid distribution averages the equivalent of about 28 trucks of humanitarian goods, compared to the pre-war average of 500 trucks per month.
  • As starvation spreads, civilian killings have increased, with one person killed by Israel every 12 minutes in July, making it one of the deadliest months of the Gaza war.
  • The UN secretary general, António Guterres, has described Gaza as a "horror show" and warned that malnourishment is soaring and starvation is knocking on every door in Gaza.
  • Aid in Israel is now distributed by the US and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), whose sites have been described by UN officials as "death traps".
  • Humanitarians have widely condemned the GHF for what they say is a violation of aid principles and potential complicity in the war crime of weaponising starvation.
  • The Israeli military has killed over 1,000 Palestinians trying to reach food distribution sites since the end of May, with at least 73 people killed on Sunday alone.
  • Israel has also attacked World Health Organization facilities and cancelled the visa of the most senior UN aid official in Gaza.
  • A ceasefire deal between Hamas and Israel is expected to be announced soon, with a US envoy heading to Rome to meet with Israeli and Palestinian negotiators.

Statistics:

  • Over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military forces trying to reach food distribution sites since the end of May.
  • Israel has killed at least 73 people on Sunday alone seeking aid.
  • At least 72 Palestinians were killed by Israel in the past 24 hours according to the Gaza health ministry.
  • More than 59,000 people have been killed in Gaza by Israel's military campaign since the start of the war in October 2023.
  • Only 28 trucks of humanitarian goods are being distributed daily in Gaza, compared to the pre-war average of 500 trucks per month.
  • The average number of people seeking aid from distribution points has increased significantly, with reports of people fainting from hunger and corpses with ribs jutting out becoming commonplace.

Sources:

  • Letter signed by 109 aid agencies, including Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam International, and Amnesty International
  • Statement from the UN secretary general, António Guterres
  • Report from the Gaza Health Ministry
  • Analysis of UN data
  • Previous Guardian reporting on the dangers faced by Palestinians seeking aid from Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) sites.

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