The humanitarian situation is alarming.
At least 576,000 people, or a quarter of the Gaza Strip's population, are at risk of starvation, a senior official from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) told the Security Council on Tuesday widespread famine would be “almost inevitable” if no action was taken.
One in six children under the age of two suffers from it acute malnutrition and wasting in the northern Gaza Strip, and almost all residents of the Palestinian enclave rely on “woefully inadequate” food aid to survive, Ramesh Rajasingham said.
The World Food Program (WFP) “stands ready to rapidly expand and intensify its operations if a ceasefire agreement is reached,” Carl Skau, WFP deputy executive director, told the 15-member council. “Meanwhile, the risk of famine is exacerbated by the inability to deliver sufficient quantities of essential food to Gaza and the near-impossible working conditions faced by our staff on the ground,” he added.
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Israel launched its military operation against the Palestinian Hamas in the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the deadly attack on its territory on October 7. According to the latest report from Palestinian health authorities, Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip has claimed more than 30,000 lives.