The isolated northern region of Gaza is facing a dire situation as aid convoys are being denied permits to enter, leaving people without access to food. Residents have resorted to grinding animal feed into flour to survive, but even those stocks are running out. The UN has warned of a sharp rise in acute malnutrition among young children, with levels now exceeding the critical threshold. Israeli forces have been interfering with aid delivery, resulting in more than half of the aid missions being denied access. This has left an estimated 300,000 people largely cut off from assistance and facing an increasing risk of famine.
The Israeli military agency, Cogat, has denied claims of starvation in Gaza and stated that it does not limit humanitarian aid sent to the region. However, the World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that four out of the last five aid convoys have been stopped by Israeli forces, creating a two-week gap between deliveries to Gaza City. The WFP regional chief, Matt Hollingworth, emphasized the urgent need for significant volumes of food assistance to prevent a famine in Gaza.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) has documented a sharp increase in the number of aid missions denied access to northern Gaza. In January, 56% of deliveries were denied access, compared to 14% in the previous months. Ocha also highlighted that the Israeli military has imposed reductions on the volume of assistance, including the quantity of food, and at times required justifications for fuel destined for health facilities.
The situation on the ground is dire, with families resorting to desperate measures for survival. Reports from Beit Lahia and Gaza City describe people grinding grains used for animal feed into flour, which is also now running out. Tinned food stocks have disappeared, leaving people with only rice as their main source of sustenance. Families in the northern areas are facing difficulties in accessing reliable water supplies, resorting to drinking unpotable water and digging for water.
The ongoing conflict and restrictions on aid have exacerbated an already dire situation in Gaza. The territory heavily relied on food aid even before the war, and now its agricultural industry has been severely damaged. More than half of the agricultural land in the central region has been destroyed. The aftermath of the war has left many farmers devastated, with olive trees and farmland ruined, causing losses for years to come.
In the border town of Rafah, where more than a million displaced people seek shelter alongside the town’s residents, the situation is no better. Although the majority of aid missions to southern Gaza manage to get through, many people are still going hungry, and a public health crisis is looming due to a lack of shelter, sanitation, and medical care.
The desperate circumstances in Gaza require immediate action and a resolution between Israel and Hamas. A deal between the two sides is seen as the only way to alleviate the suffering of people trapped in Gaza and ensure the delivery of aid. As Israel prepares for a ground offensive in Rafah, leaders on both sides are under pressure to address the humanitarian crisis and end the suffering of innocent civilians who have become victims of the conflict.
The escalating hunger crisis and denial of aid access in Gaza demand attention and urgent intervention from the international community. Without immediate action, the situation is likely to worsen, leading to a catastrophic lack of food and a devastating impact on the lives of people in Gaza.
