At least one quarter of Gaza’s population – 576,000 people – are one step away from famine and virtually the entire population desperately needs food resulting in aid trucks being shot at, looted and overwhelmed by hungry people, top UN officials said.
The officials from the UN humanitarian office and the UN’s food and agriculture organisations painted a dire picture of all 2.3 million people in Gaza facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse, and civil order breaking down especially in the north where food and other humanitarian supplies are scarce.
And as grim as the picture is today, Ramesh Ramasingham, the UN humanitarian coordinator, told the UN Security Council that “there is every possibility for further deterioration”.
He said that in addition to a quarter of Gaza’s population close to famine, one in six children under the age of two in northern Gaza are suffering from “acute malnutrition and wasting,” where the body becomes emaciated.
Carl Skau, deputy executive director of the World Food Program, said that is “the worst level of child malnutrition anywhere in the world”.
He warned that “if nothing changes, a famine is imminent in northern Gaza” – the initial target of Israel’s military offensive following Hamas’ surprise attack in southern Israel on Oct 7 that killed some 1,200 people and led to about 250 being taken captive.