World Food Programme: One-third of Gaza’s population has gone without food for days

The World Food Programme warned yesterday of a worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, confirming that one in three people in the Strip go without food for days, putting more people at risk of famine.
A statement by the UN agency explained that more than 700,000 people have been displaced since last March, while reports indicate that approximately 85% of the Strip is an active combat zone.
The agency stressed its continued provision of humanitarian assistance inside Gaza despite “the deteriorating security situation, the difficulty of access, and the growing number of people in need of food aid.” It added that it has 140,000 metric tons of food in the area, enough to feed all of Gaza’s residents, and aims to bring in 2,000 metric tons of food aid daily in agreement with Israel. A senior UN official said last week that the majority of the victims were trying to reach the organization’s aid distribution sites.
More than 170 non-governmental organizations have called for the dismantling of the US- and Israeli-backed food aid distribution system in Gaza, due to it exposing civilians to the risk of death and injury.