Over the past two weeks, Israeli actions have severely limited aid agencies’ ability to distribute aid in Gaza. The situation is particularly grim in the northern half of the Strip, where aid deliveries have been halted for three weeks. One in six children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday, “Entry of aid trucks into the besieged territory has sharply declined by more than half the past two weeks, according to UN figures.” Israeli failure to ensure the safety of aid shipments is contributing to the decline in deliveries. Aid shipments into Gaza were also significantly reduced from levels before October 7.
The problem is further exacerbated by Tel Aviv’s onerous inspection regime for aid trucks attempting to enter the Strip. The restrictions on aid include preventing life-saving medication from entering Gaza. The complex inspection regime slows assistance into Gaza.
Israeli citizens are additionally protesting near the border crossing with Gaza against aid shipments entering the Strip. The protesters block aid, and Israeli authorities often allow them to destroy the shipments.
Aid entering Gaza is often mobbed by starving and desperate Palestinians. The Israeli military targeted the Gaza police force that was escorting aid deliveries in the Strip, leading to the police ceasing the service.
The combination of challenges facing agencies attempting to distribute aid in the Strip has forced the UN World Food Program to halt deliveries to the northern half of Gaza. Assistance to the north has been cut off for nearly three weeks. An Israeli airstrike on an aid convoy caused the initial pause in shipments. People in that region are eating plants, weeds, grass, and animal feed in an attempt to survive.
The children in Gaza face a dire situation that can become lethal. 90% of children under five face food poverty and 70% have recently had diarrhea. The combination of starvation and diarrhea can be fatal for children.
