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Palestinian Arabs

UN Official Blasts Israel Over Gaza Blockade, Warns of Famine

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A top UN official, Tom Fletcher, has condemned Israel's blockade of Gaza, calling it "deliberately and unashamedly" inhumane and warning of the risk of famine. The blockade has been in place for over 10 weeks, with the UN and other international aid agencies unable to deliver humanitarian aid to the territory. According to the UN World Food Program, a quarter of Gaza's population is at risk of famine, with food stockpiles in warehouses in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan being inaccessible.

Key Takeaways:

  • Tom Fletcher, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, accused Israel of imposing inhumane conditions on Palestinians in Gaza, including the risk of famine.
  • The UN World Food Program's director for Gaza, Antoine Renard, warned that a quarter of Gaza's population is at risk of famine, despite having access to food stockpiles in nearby countries.
  • The UN and other international aid agencies have rejected Israel's attempts to control aid distribution, calling it a "cynical sideshow" and a "deliberate distraction".
  • Israel's military campaign in Gaza has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with near-famine levels of hunger affecting nearly half a million Palestinians.
  • The UN's top court, the International Court of Justice, ordered Israel to take all necessary steps to prevent death, destruction, and genocide in Gaza in January 2024.
  • A proposal by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, backed by the US, to implement a new aid distribution system based on plans similar to those designed by Israel has been rejected by the UN and aid groups.

Statistics:

  • Over 10 weeks, Israel has blocked all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza.
  • A quarter of Gaza's population is at risk of famine.
  • UN World Food Program warehouses in Gaza are now empty, and the agency has reduced its daily food production from 1 million meals to 250,000 meals.
  • Nearly half a million Palestinians are facing possible starvation in Gaza.
  • 1 million others in Gaza can barely get enough food.
  • 40 kilometers separate the UN's food warehouses in Israel, Egypt, and Jordan from Gaza.

Sources:

  • "U.N. official blasts Israel on Gaza blockade, warns of famine" by Farnoush Amiri and Edith M. Lederer (Associated Press)
  • " Israel declines to comment on UN official's condemnation over Gaza blockade" (The Times of Israel)
  • "Gaza on the Brink of Famine" (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification)
  • "Israel Accused of Genocide by UN Official as Famine Looms in Gaza" (The Guardian)

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