Gaza ‘hungriest place on Earth’ due to food restrictions, says UN

In a statement released on 30th May, United Nations officials asserted that Israel is deliberately impeding the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, exacerbating what they now describe as one of the world’s most severe food crises.

According to Arab World, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that almost no ready-to-eat food is entering the territory. OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke described Gaza as “the hungriest place on earth,” as supplies remain critically limited and access tightly restricted.

“What we have been able to bring in is flour,” Laerke said during a UN press briefing. “That’s not ready to eat, right? It needs to be cooked… 100% of the population of Gaza is at risk of famine.”

Laerke noted that of 900 aid trucks prepared, only 600 had been authorised to approach the border. Beyond that point, he said, aid is being stalled by “bureaucratic and security obstacles.”

The humanitarian crisis is also crippling Gaza’s healthcare system. Tommaso della Longa, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent, reported that half of the organisation’s medical facilities in Gaza are no longer operational due to a lack of fuel and essential equipment.

As the situation deteriorates, aid agencies continue to call for immediate and unrestricted humanitarian access to prevent a full-scale famine and health catastrophe in the besieged enclave.

Arab World/ Maghrebi.org