A large-scale humanitarian disaster is taking place in Gaza. According to the Ministry of Health reports, 15 people – four of whom are children – have died of starvation in the last 24 hours alone. The ministry refused to provide information regarding where exactly these awful deaths took place. The majority of the deaths occurred as people were attempting to reach aid distribution points operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
The environment today is serious. That situation only deepened when, in early March, Israeli authorities announced they would prevent humanitarian convoys from reaching Gaza at all. Since then, the space for humanitarian assistance has quickly dried up. As a consequence, starvation and malnutrition are on the rise, leading to alarming appeals for action from across the UN system.
Volker Türk, the United Nations’ human rights chief, expressed grave concerns regarding the Israeli military operations in central Gaza, stating that they “will invariably lead to further civilian deaths.” He added that recent attacks “have added more misery to the suffering of hungry Palestinians.”
Yet during the ongoing conflict, at least 1,054 Palestinians have died while attempting to obtain food aid. Israel has escalated its military campaign. As I write these lines, they have opened up an even bigger new ground offensive through the central Gazan city of Deir al-Balah. Meanwhile, the Israeli military has issued evacuation orders over almost 6 square kilometers (2.3 square miles) of the area. This decision only deepens the already tragic humanitarian crisis.
According to Dr. Mohammad Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex, that was the bad news. With each passing day, malnourished and starving patients flood into Gaza’s hospitals. Even the little assistance that is left is hard to distribute because no other agency is overseeing the distributions,” he continued.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Hamas was putting civilians at risk by firing on anyone who came to pick up relief supplies. This dubious accusation adds a new complication to the already tense humanitarian landscape in Gaza.
The GHF was launched on May 27 under extraordinary circumstances. Nine months into the war, the organization still finds it hard to reach millions who need immediate assistance. Continuing violence and lack of control over shipments pose huge challenges.
Western foreign ministers correctly condemned the Israeli government’s new aid delivery model. Their statement is a window into a powerful wave of international opinion on the issue. They asserted that it is “dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity.”
“The Israeli government’s aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity. We condemn the drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children, seeking to meet their most basic needs of water and food.” – Western foreign ministers
Türk urged the international community to act quickly to bring an immediate end to military attacks and violations of international law. He announced, “Instead of perpetuating the cycle of violence, we need to stop the killings, destruction and large-scale violation of international law at once.
“Instead of launching round upon round of new military attacks, there must be an immediate end to the killings, destruction and the wide scale violations of international law.” – Volker Türk
The situation is as bad as it gets and humanitarian agencies are rushing to come up with appropriate response to ever worsening crisis.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently increased the level of alarm over the dangerous climate surrounding humanitarian and health workers. They need to bring their work to safety — very soon. The agency pointed out that as security has worsened, red lines have been increasingly crossed, restricting humanitarian work.
“WHO is appalled by the dangerous conditions under which humanitarians and health workers are forced to operate. As the security situation and access continue to deteriorate, red lines are repeatedly crossed, and humanitarian operations pushed into an ever-shrinking space to respond.” – WHO
As the situation for civilians grows more dire each day, accusations of violence and coverups only detract from the truth. Humanitarians and activists alike are demanding that the humanitarian independent panel take urgent action to ensure safe passage for those who need it most.
