United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised concerns once again about the severe humanitarian crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip, stating that “four out of five of the hungriest people anywhere in the world are” in Gaza.
The World Food Programme has revealed that half of Gaza’s population is experiencing starvation, with residents going entire days without food.
A UN-backed report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) indicates that the entire population of Gaza is facing a food crisis, with 576,600 people at catastrophic or starvation levels.
The report warns of a risk of famine if the current situation persists, emphasizing the need for a cessation of hostilities and the restoration of humanitarian space to provide assistance and restore services.
According to a study by the rights group Euro-Med Monitor, 71% of the population in Gaza is grappling with extreme hunger, resorting to consuming insufficient amounts of food, grass, fruits, immature food, and expired materials to satiate their hunger.
The study also highlights the drastic reduction in access to water in Gaza, contributing to health issues such as diarrhea and skin rashes. The death toll in Gaza has risen to 20,258, with a majority being women and children.
The conflict has displaced an estimated 1.9 million out of Gaza’s 2.3 million population, according to UN estimates. Guterres stresses the urgency of addressing the deteriorating health, nutrition, food security, and mortality conditions to eliminate the risk of famine.
