Record starvation and malnutrition in Gaza; more West Bank displacement

The United Nations continues to draw attention to the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where starvation and malnutrition are at the highest levels since hostilities began nearly two years ago. 

That warning comes from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in a tweet posted on Tuesday, calling for more aid to be allowed into the enclave by Israeli authorities. 

Gaza’s Ministry of Health reported that five people died over the past 24 hours due to malnutrition and starvation, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its latest update.

This brings the total number of malnutrition-related deaths to 227, including 103 children, since October 2023.  

Still not enough aid

Humanitarians continue to decry the low level of supplies entering Gaza, which remains a fraction of what is needed to meet the immense needs of the roughly 2.1 million people living there.

One third of the population is not eating for days on end, and half a million are on the brink of starvation, WFP emphasised.

The agency is calling for at least 100 trucks a day to be allowed into Gaza, much faster approvals and clearances, and for no armed presence or shooting near humanitarian convoys and food distribution sites, among other measures.

Humanitarian missions face obstructions

Although the UN and partners continue to do everything possible to bring assistance in, humanitarian movements still face significant delays and other challenges. 

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric outlined the situation for journalists attending the regular media briefing at Headquarters in New York. 

He said on Monday humanitarians had formally asked Israel to coordinate 16 missions – including the collection of food, medical supplies and fuel – from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim border crossings, the only two aid corridors in operation.

Other missions involved moving goods and personnel within Gaza, from south to north and within the southern part of the Strip. 

‘Precious time’ wasted

“Out of the 16 missions, four were facilitated and three were denied; another four were impeded but eventually were fully accomplished,” he said.

Of the remaining missions, two were cancelled by the respective organizations and two more that involved collection of food and health supplies from the Kerem Shalom crossing were impeded and unable to be completed.  Another mission was impeded but was still ongoing.

“Efforts to coordinate humanitarian movements often drag on for hours due to unpredictable clearances by the Israeli authorities, wasting precious time,” he added. 

West Bank unrest

OCHA also updated on the situation in the occupied West Bank, where another Palestinian Bedouin community was displaced on Monday due to violence by Israeli forces and settlers. 

Israeli forces raided the community of Ein Ayoub in Ramallah governorate and ordered the immediate eviction of its roughly 100 Palestinian residents.

Many of these people have no alternative means of shelter, OCHA said.