The Deputy Executive Director of the UN World Food Programme, Carl Skau, expressed urgent concerns on Thursday about the escalating risk of famine in northern Gaza, exacerbated by the ongoing Israeli blockade.
Skau called for an increase in both the quantity and diversity of humanitarian aid allowed into the region, urging Israel to facilitate direct access from Ashdod Port through the Erez Crossing.
Despite a pledge made three weeks ago by Israeli authorities to reopen the Erez Crossing and permit the use of Ashdod Port for humanitarian deliveries, these measures have not yet been implemented.
“We welcome these commitments; some have been partially implemented, but others are still pending,” Skau told reporters, referencing a statement from Reuters.
Skau highlighted a “slight increase” in aid reaching northern Gaza and some progress in accessibility, but stressed that these measures are insufficient. “We are still heading towards famine in the north,” he stated.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week remarked that Israel’s commitments to improving aid access to Gaza have been “limited in impact and sometimes non-existent.”
A UN-backed report released in March warned that famine could become imminent in northern Gaza by May and could spread across the region, which is home to 2.3 million people, by July.
UN officials, including Skau and UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, who briefed the UN Security Council on Wednesday, emphasized the urgent need for increased food and medical aid to prevent a famine.
“Treating acutely malnourished children or pregnant women isn’t just about providing more calories. They need nutritionally rich foods and supplements for therapeutic purposes, as well as long-term medical care,” Kaag stated.
The Israeli military claimed last week that eight trucks loaded with flour from the World Food Programme had, for the first time, arrived in Gaza from Ashdod.
However, these deliveries required transit through Israeli territory and inspections at the Kerem Shalom Crossing, controlled by Tel Aviv at Gaza’s southern border, before rerouting along an Israeli military road parallel to the border fence to enter northern Gaza through Erez.
Skau expressed a preference for using Ashdod not just for wheat but for other goods as well, aiming for a more direct route to Erez, which is an hour and a half drive away, rather than going through Kerem Shalom.
The UN is also in talks with the United States about establishing a floating dock to allow aid to be shipped directly from Cyprus to Gaza by sea. However, both Skau and Kaag noted that maritime access should not replace land deliveries, which must remain central to relief operations.
“The goal is to deliver as much food as possible to those who need it most, and we are exploring all avenues to achieve this… But we also need to maintain some independence so that we can truly reach the populations and deliver services safely and securely,” Skau concluded.
Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, told the Security Council on Wednesday that while Israel has made some positive steps to facilitate aid delivery, they are not nearly sufficient or timely. He urged immediate actions to open more land crossings.
The ongoing Israeli assault on Gaza, which began on October 7, has so far resulted in over 110,000 casualties, including deaths and injuries, and widespread destruction affecting all aspects of life in the besieged region.
