Rabat – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has declared that a staggering 40% of Gaza’s population is now teetering on the brink of famine, sending shockwaves through the already embattled region.
Amid the harrowing scenes of the ongoing genocidal campaign launched by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on defenseless Palestinian people, Thomas White, the director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, grimly stated: “Every day is a struggle for survival, finding food and finding water.”
The severity of the crisis is underlined by the fact that more than 1.9 million people, constituting 85% of Gaza’s population, have been forced to evacuate following orders from IOF.
UNRWA, through its social media platform, highlighted the gravity of the situation, proclaiming: “Gaza is grappling with catastrophic hunger. The reality is, we need more aid. The only remaining hope is a humanitarian ceasefire.”
The shortage of food and resources exacerbates the plight of the displaced population, creating a dire humanitarian emergency.
Shifting the focus to a broader perspective, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report released on December 21 paints a bleak picture of a region besieged by bombardment, ground operations, and the alarming displacement of its people due to the IOF’s ongoing aggression on Gaza.
Israel’s genocidal Gaza campaign has reached unprecedented levels in recent years, with 90% of the population, approximately 2.08 million individuals, experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity between November 24 and December 7.
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Sally Abi Khalil, the Regional Director of Oxfam in the Middle East and North Africa, condemned the egregious use of food and water as weapons against the most vulnerable.
“It is horrifying and barely imaginable that in 2023, food and water are being used against women, children, babies, the elderly, and the sick – the most vulnerable individuals,” she said in a statement. “The horror felt by a mother who cannot feed her child has become a reality in Gaza today.”
The stark reality is that Gaza’s civilian population, particularly women and children, are bearing the brunt of this ongoing genocide, with devastating consequences.
More than mere statistics, the human toll is evident in the Gaza Health Ministry’s latest update, reporting 21,320 deaths in the Gaza Strip. Among them are 6,300 women and 8,800 children, underscoring the disproportionate impact on the most vulnerable members of society.
