Officials and human rights organizations denounced the Israeli actions in Gaza as deliberately provoking a humanitarian crisis that is now on the brink of an outright famine. Israel has created widespread starvation and dehydration in Gaza by preventing aid from entering the besieged enclave.
The international watchdog for food insecurity, Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), released a new report on Monday saying famine in Gaza will begin in the next two months. For a famine to be declared, at least 2 per 10,000 people are dying of deprivation per day.
“The latest evidence confirms that Famine is imminent in the northern governorates of the Gaza Strip and projected to occur anytime between mid-March and May 2024,” the IPC report found. “The entire population in the Gaza Strip (2.23 million) is facing high levels of acute food insecurity. This includes half of the population in IPC Phase 5 (Catastrophe), an increase of 530,000 people (92 percent) from the previous analysis.”
Oxfam issued a report on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, taking aim at Tel Aviv for preventing aid, including medical supplies, from reaching the Strip. “Israel’s policies and practices continue to systematically and deliberately block and undermine any meaningful international humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip,” the organization explains. “Israel’s control of Gaza continues to be characterized by deliberate restrictive actions that have led to a severe and systemic dysfunctionality in the delivery of aid.”
Last week, the head of the UN Aid Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) stated that scissors from a children’s medical kit were on the list of items blocked by Israel from entering Gaza. Additionally, Tel Aviv prevents medications, oxygen, and maternity kits from entering the Strip.
“The conditions we have observed in Gaza are beyond catastrophic, and we have not only seen failure by Israeli authorities to meet their responsibility to facilitate and support international aid efforts.” The report continues, “but in fact [we have] seen active steps being taken to hinder and undermine such aid efforts.”
The IPC report also faults Israel for causing the famine. “The devastation brought about by the hostilities is indescribable. The escalation of hostilities has caused widespread damage to assets and infrastructure indispensable to survival.” It adds, “Extremely limited humanitarian access to and within the Gaza Strip continues to impede the safe and equitable delivery of life-saving multi-sector humanitarian assistance.”
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also slammed Tel Aviv over its despicable treatment of Palestinians in Gaza. “Gaza was before the war the greatest open-air prison. Today, it is the greatest open-air graveyard. A graveyard for tens of thousands of people, and also a graveyard for many of the most important principles of humanitarian law,” he explained.
