WHO: Half a million people in Gaza face catastrophic situation
GENEVA, May 13 (KUNA) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Tuesday that the ongoing blockade imposed on the Gaza Strip by occupation forces could result in "one of the worst humanitarian crises since World War II" with nearly half a million people facing a "catastrophic situation of hunger, acute starvation and illness." Speaking from Gaza during a press conference in Geneva, WHO representative in the occupied Palestinian territories Rik Peeperkorn said that more than 55 children have died due to complications from malnutrition and related illnesses since March 2, according to WHO reports.
He added that approximately 71,000 children under the age of five are at risk of acute malnutrition in the coming months and more than 17,000 breastfeeding mothers are facing serious health risks due to continued food shortages and lack of healthcare.
He warned of long-term effects of malnutrition including stunted growth in children cognitive impairments and a general deterioration in health Peeperkorn described the situation in Gaza as a "deadly spiral of food insecurity malnutrition a collapsing health system scarce clean water and deteriorating sanitation services" emphasizing that "nine out of ten people" are unable to access safe drinking water.
The WHO representative also expressed concern over shortage of medical supplies stating that WHO warehouses in Gaza now hold enough materials to treat only a few hundred children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
According to a new report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the situation in Gaza is described as one of the worst hunger crises in the world.
The report indicates that all 2.1 million residents of Gaza suffer from food insecurity with around 500,000 people experiencing catastrophic levels of hunger, acute malnutrition and disease. Another one million are severely affected and the remainder face moderate impacts. (end) imk.rk
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Kuwait Times
2 days ago
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Kuwait Times
3 days ago
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Kuwait Times
3 days ago
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