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4 die at aid centre in Gaza, UN food agency says 'hordes of hungry' Palestinians stormed warehouse
At least four people have died in the accident, with two being fatally crushed to death while the others were shot. AFP released video footage showing crowds storming the Al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir Al-Balah, seizing bags of flour and boxes of food while gunfire echoed in the background. The source of the gunshots, however, remained unclear read more
Men look around on alert in the wake of gunfire shots as displaced Palestinians receive food packages from a US-backed foundation pledging to distribute humanitarian aid in western Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on May 27, 2025. AFP
The United Nation's World Food Programme (WFP) has said that 'hordes of hungry' people stormed into a food supply warehouse in central Gaza, days after aid started entering the Palestinian territory after days of blockage.
At least four people have died in the accident, with two being fatally crushed to death while the others were shot. AFP released video footage showing crowds storming the Al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir Al-Balah, seizing bags of flour and boxes of food while gunfire echoed in the background. The source of the gunshots, however, remained unclear.
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The WFP said in a statement that the stampede-like situation occurred after humanitarian needs 'spiralled out of control' in Gaza following a three-month-long blockade by Israel.
'Hordes of hungry people broke into WFP's al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, in search of food supplies that were pre-positioned for distribution,' WFP said.
'Gaza needs an immediate scale-up of food assistance. This is the only way to reassure people that they will not starve,' the agency added.
Another food distribution site witnesses chaos
According to a report by The Guardian, the latest incident came a day after one civilian was shot dead and 48 others were left injured at a separate food distribution point. The outlet said that Israel had opened fire at the gathering of Palestinians who were collecting aid from the centre.
Witnesses say Israeli forces opened fire after crowds of Palestinians breached the fences surrounding a distribution centre operated by a US-backed organisation selected by Israel to deliver food into Gaza.
The group had reportedly lost control of the site. An Israeli military helicopter was seen firing flares, and distant bursts of gunfire were heard. In one video, a large group of frightened civilians, including women and children, is seen fleeing in panic, trampling over the fencing.
What about ceasefire?
Israel stepped up its military offensive earlier this month, while mediators push for a still elusive ceasefire.
In Tel Aviv, hundreds of people called for a ceasefire, lining roads at 6:29 am – the exact time the unprecedented October 7 attack began.
Relatives of hostages held since that attack also gathered in Tel Aviv.
'I want you to know that when Israel blows up deals, it does so on the heads of the hostages,' said Arbel Yehud, who was freed from Gaza captivity in January.
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'Their conditions immediately worsen, food diminishes, pressure increases, and bombings and military actions do not save them, they endanger their lives.'
Out of 251 hostages seized during the October 7 attack, 57 remain in Gaza, including 34, the Israeli military says, are dead.
With inputs from agencies
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News18
2 days ago
- News18
What is famine and who declares one?
Agency: PTI Last Updated: Jerusalem, May 30 (AP) For months, UN officials, aid groups and experts have warned that Palestinians in Gaza are on the brink of famine. Earlier this month, Israel eased a weekslong blockade on the territory as a result of international criticism, but the UN humanitarian aid office said Friday that deliveries into Gaza remain severely restricted, describing the current flow of food as a trickle into an area facing catastrophic levels of hunger. Gaza's population of more than 2 million people relies almost entirely on outside aid to survive because Israel's 19-month-old military offensive has wiped out most capacity to produce food inside the territory. Israel said it imposed the blockade to pressure Hamas into releasing the hostages it holds and because it accuses Hamas of siphoning off aid, without providing evidence. The UN says there are mechanisms in place that prevent any significant diversion of aid, though aid trucks have been robbed and hungry crowds have broken into aid warehouses a few times. No famine has been formally declared in Gaza. Here's a look at what famine means and how the world finds out when one exists. What is famine? The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, the leading international authority on hunger crises, considers an area to be in famine when three things occur: 20 per cent of households have an extreme lack of food, or essentially are starving; at least 30 per cent of children suffer from acute malnutrition or wasting, meaning they're too thin for their height; and two adults or four children per every 10,000 people are dying daily of hunger and its complications. Famine can appear in pockets — sometimes small ones — and a formal classification requires caution. Last year, experts said a famine was ongoing in parts of North Darfur in Sudan. Somalia, in 2011, and South Sudan, in 2017, also saw famines in which tens of thousands of people were affected. Gaza poses a particular complication for experts since access is severely limited, making gathering data difficult if not impossible in some cases. Last year, the IPC said an area can be classified as in 'famine with reasonable evidence" if two of the three thresholds have been reached and crossing the third appears likely to have happened. The IPC unites experts from more than 20 organisations like the UN's health, development, and food aid agencies; charity CARE International; the Famine Early Warning Systems Network; and the European Union and the World Bank. Who declares a famine? The short answer is, there's no set rule. While the IPC says it is the 'primary mechanism" used by the international community to analyse data and conclude whether a famine is happening or projected, it typically doesn't make such a declaration itself. Often, UN officials or governments will make a formal statement, based on an analysis from the IPC. 'There's a widespread misunderstanding that someone has to declare a famine before it is a famine. That is not the case," said Jens Laerke, a spokesman for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 'When IPC shows the data that hits the threshold for a famine, then it's a famine." What happens when a famine is declared? Theoretically, governments and the international aid community, including the United Nations, unlock aid and funding to help feed people en masse. A small amount of food is entering Gaza again following the 2 1/2-month Israeli blockade. But aid groups say it is a fraction of what is needed — and gunfire and chaos have plagued food distribution in recent days. The Israeli military says it has facilitated the entry of nearly 1,000 trucks the past 12 days, far below the rate even at the highest times during the war when several hundred trucks a day would enter. In general, international preparation and effective deployment in response to famines can be lacking. 'There is not a big, huge bank account" to draw on, said OCHA's Laerke. 'The fundamental problem is that we build the fire engine as we respond." (AP) GSP First Published: News agency-feeds What is famine and who declares one?
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First Post
3 days ago
- First Post
Is it safe to eat seafood in Kerala? How the sinking of a cargo ship brought concerns to the coast
As the Liberian-flagged container ship, MSC ELSA 3, sank off the Kerala coast last week, worries over pollution caused by it continue. While officials have so far denied an oil spill, plastics from the shipwreck lining multiple shores have raised concerns about the impact on marine life and the safety of seafood in the region read more Following sinking of cargo ship off the Kerala coast, worries over potential pollution, ranging from oil to tiny plastic pellets,have raised questions about the long-term impact on marine life and the safety of seafood in the region. Image for Representation. AFP A recent capsize of a cargo ship off the Kerala coast has triggered fresh fears for the state's delicate marine ecosystem. Last week, MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged container ship travelling from Vizhinjam port to Kochi, capsized near Alappuzha. The vessel was carrying 640 containers—some of which, the Coast Guard says, included 'hazardous cargo' that has now started washing ashore. Inside the ship's tanks were also large amounts of fuel, sparking fears about a major oil spill. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD While officials have denied any confirmed oil spill so far, concerns are far from over. Worries over potential pollution, ranging from oil to tiny plastic pellets known as nurdles, continue to grow, with questions being raised about the long-term impact on marine life and the safety of seafood in the region. So, how serious is the damage? What steps are authorities taking? And most importantly, can you still safely eat fish from the Kerala coast? Here's what we know so far. How difficult is it to manage an oil spill? The MSC ELSA 3 was carrying a significant amount of fuel—at least 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367 metric tonnes of furnace oil, according to the Coast Guard. Though officials have ruled out a major spill, the director of Hyderabad-based Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) Dr T M Balakrishnan Nair, on Wednesday confirmed that there were traces of oil along the Alappuzha coast. 'Our six-member team has found small patches of oil slick along the coast. These are bunker oil used in ships. As the oil spill has been contained almost, we do not expect a massive oil slick. However, it would continue to appear on the southern Kerala coast in the coming days also. Everything depends upon how much oil has leaked out from the ship,' he told the Indian Express. The Liberian container vessel MSC ELSA 3 sank off the coast of Kerala on Sunday. It contained at least 84.44 metric tonnes of diesel and 367 metric tonnes of furnace oil. Image courtesy: PTI Earlier, a simulation conducted by the agency suggested that if all the diesel and furnace oil from the vessel were to leak into the sea, there was a high chance it would drift towards the Kerala coast, specifically the stretch between Alappuzha and Thiruvananthapuram. Managing oil spills is no easy task. Each incident behaves differently depending on the type and volume of oil released. Cleanup operations are often expensive, labour-intensive, and can stretch on for months. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In the case of MSC ELSA 3, experts say it's critical to stop the oil from reaching the shoreline. 'Oil smothering could threaten sensitive marine species and disrupt fishing activities, particularly affecting artisanal fishers in coastal regions. If the spill spreads, it may harm marine productivity, especially during the monsoon, a critical period for pelagic fish breeding and growth. This could have lasting consequences for fisheries,' Grinson George, director of Kochi-based Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), told The Times of India. Meanwhile, authorities say their top priorities include recovering the oil, retrieving containers adrift at sea, and removing those that have washed up on beaches. July 3 has been set as the deadline for completing oil recovery efforts. Plastic shipwreck sparks worry about pollutants Even as authorities monitor for a possible oil spill, another threat has already started washing ashore—pollutants from the cargo itself. Several containers from the sunken MSC ELSA 3 have broken loose and made landfall, bringing with them plastic pellets, chemicals, and potentially hazardous materials. In recent days, beaches in Thiruvananthapuram, such as Thumba and Kochuveli, have seen large amounts of nurdles, small plastic pellets used in the production of plastic goods. These can be mistaken for food by marine life and are extremely difficult to clean up once they spread, reports _The News Minute. _ STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 🚨 Eco-Disaster Unfolding in India Millions of plastic pellets (nurdles) are washing up on Kerala's shores after the MSC ELSA3 shipwreck. 🐢 Marine life is choking. 🌍 Ecosystems are at risk. 👣 Humans aren't far behind. This is a global wake-up call.#NurdleSpill #PlasticCrisis… — Paulose Jacob Peter (@Anand02908794) May 28, 2025 INCOIS has predicted that nurdles may drift along a stretch of 84 nautical miles off the Kovalam coast by May 29. As per an update by the INCOIS on May 26, 30 tonnes of cargo have been floating in the sea, while 45 tonnes have reached the shore. Around 25 tonnes of cargo have either evaporated or dispersed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A recent yet-to-be-published study has already raised alarms about the region's vulnerability. 'Incidents like this will cause the presence of microplastics in commercially available fish to go beyond the permissible levels. Bioaccumulation of these pollutants in our body will have long-term impacts,' Dr Shaju SS, assistant professor at the Department of Chemical Oceanography at Cochin University of Science and Technology, told The News Minute. The ship was also carrying 640 containers, which also included 13 marked as 'hazardous cargo' and 12 containing calcium carbide. Kerala holds emergency expert meet after Liberian ship sinks near shore, bans fishing, deploys pollution control teams. PTI The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has issued a public warning, urging people not to approach any containers washed up on shore, as calcium carbide can trigger dangerous exothermic reactions if it comes into contact with water and can cause explosions, Shaju told the outlet. The Coast Guard has responded by deploying clean-up vessels and conducting aerial surveillance to track the spread of pollutants. Authorities have also deployed 108 personnel onshore for container recovery and cleanup. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Thirty-eight people have been deployed in Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, and Kollam, linked directly to DDMA (District Disaster Management Authority). District Collectors are actively coordinating response efforts. Fifty containers have been traced across seven sites. Efforts are underway to retrieve them within two days,' Capt Abul Kalam Azad, Nautical Advisor to the Union Government, said. Is it safe to eat seafood? So far, yes. Despite the concerns surrounding the sunken vessel and potential pollutants, experts say there is no need to panic, at least not yet. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) and the State Fisheries Department are actively monitoring the situation. Regular water sampling is underway, and authorities are closely tracking any signs of contamination. Speaking to Kerala-based outlet Mathrubhumi News, CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George said there's currently no reason to avoid eating seafood as fish from the affected area are not entering the market. Fishing is currently banned in the immediate vicinity of the wreck. CMFRI Director Dr Grinson George said there's currently no reason to avoid eating seafood as fish from the affected area are not entering the market. Fishing is currently banned in the immediate vicinity of the wreck. File image/PTI The outlet also cited food safety experts who noted that unless there's confirmed leakage, the situation shouldn't raise alarm. Even in the event of some leakage, the vast volume of seawater could help dilute any harmful substances before they pose a widespread threat. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As of now, agencies continue to test seawater quality and collect samples. The Fisheries Department is expected to issue official guidance once the scientific assessments are complete. With input from agencies
Mint
3 days ago
- Mint
Lessons from the happiest countries in the world
To read more of The Economist's data journalism visit our Graphic detail page. FOR A COUNTRY known for long winters and high taxes, Finland appears remarkably chipper. On March 20th it came top of the World Happiness Report, an annual UN-backed study, notching its eighth consecutive win ahead of 146 other countries. Not far behind it were Denmark, Iceland and Sweden. What makes the Nordics so happy? The World Happiness Report is more a study of life satisfaction than smiles and laughter. It is based on a survey by Gallup, a pollster, where participants are asked to rate their lives out of ten. Finns are not known to gloat (or, for that matter, smile much). But in the latest survey they said their lives were a solid 7.7 on average—well above the global country average of 5.6. At the very bottom of the ranking, people in war-torn Afghanistan rated their lives just 1.4 out of ten. Various other organisations have found the Nordics to be some of the most stable, progressive and safe countries in the world. They dominate the high positions in The Economist's glass-ceiling index, which measures the role and influence of women in the workforce. Deaths of despair, including suicides and unintentional overdoses, are quickly decreasing in the region, albeit from a historically high baseline (life-evaluation scores alone do not capture all of the factors that can lead to deaths of despair). The Nordics are also some of the wealthiest countries in the world per person, which typically has a significant effect on life satisfaction (see chart 2). On this measure countries in Latin America also stand out, reporting happier lives than their incomes would otherwise suggest. These countries have also outperformed the Nordics in other studies of happiness, such as how often people laugh or feel a sense of enjoyment. The researchers offer a possible explanation. They found that eating with people, compared with eating alone, was a surprisingly strong indicator of subjective wellbeing—as statistically significant as income and employment status. That holds true even when accounting for other factors, such as age and education. Latin America is a 'global leader" in meal-sharing, say the authors. People across the region reportedly eat around nine meals per week with friends or family. (In South Asia it is fewer than half of that.) This might mean they are better connected and less lonely than their peers elsewhere. Indeed, across the world the study found that measures of social support are more closely linked to how people rate their lives than GDP per person. This might also explain why happiness in America and some other rich countries is falling (see chart 3). Americans increasingly eat alone, live alone and—when given the choice—work alone. In one survey 18% of young adults in America reported that they did not have anyone that they felt close to (although there are signs that the relentless increase in mental-health problems among young Americans has stalled or even gone into reverse). In many other countries, too, an erosion of meaningful connections is leaving people feeling lonely and glum. But in Finland, alone time is actually cherished. Finns retreat to their mökki (country cottages) for deliberate solitude—often in a sauna.
