Israel resumes airdrop aid to Gaza after mass starvation warning
The military also said in a separate statement that designated humanitarian corridors would be established to enable the safe movement of United Nations convoys delivering aid to the Gaza population, and that humanitarian pauses would be implemented in densely populated areas.
'The airdrops will include seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food to be provided by international organisations,' it added.
Palestinian sources confirmed that aid has begun dropping in northern Gaza.
Israel has faced mounting criticism from aid agencies, which accuse it of restricting aid delivery. The World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the crisis as 'man-made mass starvation'.
Palestinians carry sacks of flour unloaded from a humanitarian aid convoy in Gaza City on Saturday. Photo: AP
Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
What people living with liver cancer wish they had known earlier about hepatitis B
Although extensive vaccination programmes have been in place since the 1980s, hepatitis B – a serious viral infection that attacks the liver – remains a major worldwide public health concern and the subject of continuing efforts to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis and treatment with timely, appropriate treatment. During the acute infection phase, it can cause a range of symptoms from mild to acute, lasting for up to six months, with the most common signs of the disease including nausea, fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite and jaundice. However, some cases can progress to a chronic infection and may eventually cause cirrhosis and liver cancer, typically leading to the need for costly long-term medical care. Liver cancer rates in Southeast Asia are expected to double by 2050, resulting in 200,000 deaths per year. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted by exposure to infectious blood or body fluids – most commonly from mother to child during birth and delivery, particularly in highly endemic regions. Among the other risks are blood transfusions, dialysis and travel in countries with high rates of infection. Up to 254 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B in 2022, with a further 1.2 million new infections occurring each year, according to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates. These figures are striking, but it is often the experiences of individuals living day-to-day with the disease that most clearly bring home the urgent need for a wider call to action. Gilead Sciences, a biopharmaceutical company based in the United States, which specialises in the research and development (R&D) of antiviral drugs, is committed to raising awareness of the issue. It recently produced What I Wish I Knew, a short film series featuring four real-life stories of people living with hepatitis B in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea, which is both informative and inspiring.
South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Gaza's hunger crisis: 100-lorry aid convoy enters as Israel begins ‘tactical pause'
Against the backdrop of a looming hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip, large-scale aid deliveries reached the besieged and embattled coastal area for the first time in months on Sunday. A convoy of about 100 lorries carrying goods for the suffering population entered the Gaza Strip via the Kerem Shalom border crossing, according to sources in the Palestinian territory. A few hours earlier, the Israeli military announced that it would observe a daily self-declared 'tactical pause in military activity for humanitarian purposes' in parts of the Gaza Strip from 10am to 8pm until further notice. The pause applies to al-Mawasi in the southwest of the coastal strip, Deir al-Balah in the centre and Gaza City in the north – areas where the Israeli army was not operating, it said. Israel designated al-Mawasi as a 'humanitarian zone' earlier in the war. However, the military has since attacked there multiple times, resulting in many deaths. Deir al-Balah is home to the World Health Organization's (WHO) central warehouse, which the WHO said was damaged when Israeli ground troops first entered the area. In addition, humanitarian corridors will be in place from 6am to 11pm to allow the UN and aid organisations to deliver food and medicine to the population in Gaza, the Israeli military said.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Israel resumes airdrop aid to Gaza after mass starvation warning
Israel resumed airdrop aid to Gaza on Saturday, an Israeli military spokesperson said, a few days after more than 100 aid agencies warned that mass starvation was spreading across the enclave. The military also said in a separate statement that designated humanitarian corridors would be established to enable the safe movement of United Nations convoys delivering aid to the Gaza population, and that humanitarian pauses would be implemented in densely populated areas. 'The airdrops will include seven pallets of aid containing flour, sugar, and canned food to be provided by international organisations,' it added. Palestinian sources confirmed that aid has begun dropping in northern Gaza. Israel has faced mounting criticism from aid agencies, which accuse it of restricting aid delivery. The World Health Organization (WHO) chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, described the crisis as 'man-made mass starvation'. Palestinians carry sacks of flour unloaded from a humanitarian aid convoy in Gaza City on Saturday. Photo: AP Israel, which cut off all supplies to Gaza from the start of March and reopened it with new restrictions in May, says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants.
