Time for Decisive Action: Over 100 Aid Agencies Warn of Mass Starvation in Gaza
More than 100 aid and human rights groups on Wednesday urged governments worldwide to take decisive action as mass starvation spreads across the Gaza Strip.
In a joint statement, the aid groups noted that tons of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items and fuel – outside and inside Gaza – remain untouched with humanitarian organizations blocked from accessing or delivering them.
Starvation in Gaza
“As the Israeli government’s siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families. With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organizations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes,” the statement said.
Moreover, the aid agencies voiced alarm over the operation system of the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), urging governments to act.
“Open all land crossings; restore the full flow of food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter items, and fuel through a principled, UN-led mechanism; end the siege, and agree to a ceasefire now,” the statement said.
They also criticized Israeli restrictions on supplies delivery. “The Government of Israel’s restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death,” the statement noted.
Immediate Action
The statement was signed by 115 aid and human rights organizations, including Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Amnesty International, Save the Children, Islamic Relief, Doctors Without Borders, and Refugees International.
The aid organizations urged governments to act immediately. “It is time to take decisive action: demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire; lift all bureaucratic and administrative restrictions; open all land crossings; ensure access to everyone in all of Gaza; reject military-controlled distribution models,” they urged in their statement.
The statement also called for restoring a principled, UN-led humanitarian response and continuing to fund principled and impartial humanitarian organizations.
“States must pursue concrete measures to end the siege, such as halting the transfer of weapons and ammunition,” it said.
Israeli Denial
In response, the Israeli government denied responsibility for the famine in Gaza, accusing Hamas of looting aid and preventing food delivery to Palestinians, according to AFP.
“In Gaza today there is no famine caused by Israel. There is a man-made shortage engineered by Hamas,” the Israeli government spokesperson, David Mencer, told reporters.
International pressure has been mounting on Israel as more than 850 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire while seeking aid, many of them near the GHF distribution sites.
Meanwhile, the World Food Program (WFP) warned that the hunger crisis in Gaza has reached “new levels of desperation” due to lack of humanitarian assistance and the spread of malnutrition among women and children.
