New York, 5 June 2024, (GNP): The United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) warned that around 1 million individuals, nearly half of Gaza’s Palestinian residents, are at risk of death and famine by mid-July.
The FAO’s Hunger Hotspots Report highlights the perilous situation in Gaza due to Israel’s conflict, alongside ongoing risks in Sudan, Haiti, Mali, and South Sudan.
“The ongoing conflict in Palestine is expected to further aggravate already catastrophic levels of acute hunger, with starvation and death already taking place, alongside the unprecedented death toll, widespread destruction and displacement of nearly the total population of the Gaza Strip – the report warns,” the FAO said.
“In mid-March 2024, famine was projected to occur by the end of May in the two northern governorates of the Gaza, unless hostilities ended, full access was granted to humanitarian agencies, and essential services were restored,” it noted.
The agency warned, “Over one million people – half the population of Gaza – are expected to face death and starvation (IPC Phase 5) by mid-July.”
The report also highlights concerns about the wider implications of the crisis, potentially worsening existing food insecurity challenges in neighboring Lebanon and Syria.
Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has persisted in its aggressive campaign against Gaza since the October 7, 2023.
According to local health authorities, the toll of the conflict is staggering, with more than 36,500 Palestinians killed, the majority being women and children, and nearly 83,000 others sustaining injuries.
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After nearly eight months of intense Israeli military actions, large parts of Gaza lie in ruins, and the blockade has severely limited access to essential resources such as food, water, and medicine.
Facing accusations of genocide at the International Court of Justice, Israel has been ordered to cease its operations in the southern city of Rafah, a refuge for over a million Palestinians before being invaded on May 6.
The ongoing conflict has led to a humanitarian crisis of immense proportions, with widespread suffering and devastation affecting the civilian population, particularly the most vulnerable groups.
