1.6 million Palestinians face acute food insecurity in Gaza: UNRWA

The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) has warned that 1.6 million people in Gaza face acute food insecurity, highlighting the territory’s deteriorating humanitarian crisis amid gross violations of the ceasefire agreement by Israel.

In a statement released on Tuesday, UNRWA cited the latest report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which found that around 77 percent of Gaza’s population continues to experience high levels of acute food insecurity.

UNRWA added that Palestinians in Gaza continue to endure dire humanitarian conditions, which have shown little improvement even after more than two months under a ceasefire.

“In Gaza, conditions remain dire, and humanitarian needs are overwhelming. Families continue to endure severe shortages and widespread destruction,” the statement read.

“Gaza remains in a man-made hunger crisis,” UNRWA said, quoting the agency's commissioner general, Philippe Lazzarini.

The UN agency reaffirmed that its teams, who are also displaced, are still working on the ground to support affected families.

However, since March 2, UNRWA aid has not been permitted to enter Gaza directly.

Israel has banned UNRWA from operating in the occupied territories after accusing some of its staff of being involved in the al-Aqsa storm operation in October 2023.

Despite repeated requests from the UN agency for the Israeli regime to provide evidence supporting its allegations, UNRWA has received no response.

Hundreds of Palestinians dead as Israel starves Gaza

Hundreds of Palestinians have died of hunger in Gaza as Israel continues to starve the population there.

The agency has faced deepening financial turmoil since Israel launched a defamation campaign against it.

Following Israel’s accusations, several major donor states, including the United States, suspended or froze funding, triggering one of the most severe financial crises in UNRWA’s history.

In October, International Court of Justice (ICJ) President Yuji Iwasawa underscored in a ruling that Israel must “agree to and facilitate relief schemes provided by the United Nations and its entities,” including UNRWA.

Gaza's government media office has repeatedly accused Israel of failing to meet its obligations under the October 10 ceasefire and its humanitarian protocol, including the entry of shelter materials and the delivery of 300,000 tents and mobile homes for displaced families.

Under the ceasefire agreement with the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, which took effect on October 10, Israel was required to open border crossings and allow unrestricted entry of food, fuel, and humanitarian aid.

However, Israel has largely ignored these obligations. Most crossings remain closed, and only a trickle of supplies is permitted into a territory devastated by nearly two years of relentless war and genocide.

The Gaza Health Ministry says that since Israel’s genocidal assault began on October 7, 2023, at least 440 people, including more than 150 children, have died from hunger.

During its two year long genocidal war on Gaza, the regime has killed more than 71,000 Palestinians and wounded over 171,000 others, most of them women and children.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir