The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is now extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating, with a strong likelihood that famine is imminent in areas of northern Gaza, as announced by the Famine Review Committee (FRC). Israel’s blockade and military actions have led to critical shortages of food, water, and medical supplies. The people of Gaza are being subjected to collective punishment, with the very real threat of famine looming over communities who are cut off from essential assistance. This is not a natural disaster; it is an intentional crisis, fuelled by the deliberate actions of the Israeli government.
This FRC alert serves as a call to attention to the ongoing and brutal humanitarian disaster. ActionAid calls on the Israeli government to lift its siege on Gaza, allow immediate access for humanitarian aid, and permanently end the military offensive that is destroying civilian infrastructure and preventing the delivery of vital supplies.
The world cannot sit by while Israel’s actions push Gaza to the brink of famine. The international community must act now, not in weeks or months, to save lives. Every moment of delay is a moment that thousands more innocent people will suffer and die.
Amjad Al-Shawa, Director of the Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO), a partner of ActionAid in Gaza, spoke about widespread hunger:
“These days, the situation in Gaza is very critical. We are passing through the worst time in this war. We are suffering from severe food insecurity. The majority of the people cannot find food, whether in the market or from the small amounts of humanitarian aid which have been permitted to enter the Gaza Strip in different areas.
Supplies for the bakeries have become very limited, so some bakeries closed their doors and they cannot produce more bread. Community kitchens have stopped cooking hot meals for the families who have become dependent on them. 300,000 people are dependent on these meals. This will lead to famine and, for sure, severe food insecurity for women and children.We have severe cases of food insecurity, illness, and thirst. We are trying our best to reach people, with the limited amount of aid that we have, prioritizing woman-led families, of which numbers are increasing.”
ENDS
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About ActionAid
ActionAid is a global federation working with more than 41 million people living in more than 71 of the world’s poorest countries. We want to see a just, fair, and sustainable world, in which everybody enjoys the right to a life of dignity, and freedom from poverty and oppression. We work to achieve social justice and gender equality and to eradicate poverty.
