UNRWA’s Chief, Philippe Lazzarini, stated on Sunday that famine in Gaza can still be “avoided” if Israel allows more aid to enter. According to the United Nations, famine threatens 2.2 million people, nearly all of Gaza’s population, controlled by Israel’s stringent entry regulations.
This severe food shortage could lead to a “significant increase” in infant mortality rates in Northern Gaza, where one in six children under two years of age suffers from acute malnutrition.
Lazzarini emphasized on X (formerly Twitter) that this is a man-made disaster and the world has pledged never to allow famine again. He added that famine can be avoided with genuine political will to allow and secure the delivery of substantial aid. In recent days, Gazans reported resorting to eating leaves, livestock feed, and even slaughtering pets for food. Before the war, around 500 trucks of various goods entered Gaza daily, but since October 7, this number has barely exceeded 200 trucks despite urgent needs after the war devastated the economy and agriculture.
The situation is particularly dire in the north, experiencing “chaos and violence,” leading the World Food Programme to suspend its aid distribution there due to ongoing fighting.
The Israeli Defense Ministry’s agency coordinating civilian activities in Palestinian territories (COGAT) reported that 245 aid trucks were inspected and transferred to Gaza on Sunday. COGAT, which strictly monitors every truck entering Gaza, stated there’s no limit to the amount of humanitarian aid for civilians but inspection and pre-approval procedures delay aid delivery.
