UN warns Gaza families face 'catastrophic hunger'
In a statement posted on X, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said people scouring for food are being shot at, calling the situation 'unconscionable.' It reiterated that safe, unhindered access for aid is a legal and moral necessity.
The warning came as Israeli forces shot and killed at least 92 people waiting for food aid today. More than 900 have been killed in similar incidents since May, according to Gaza health authorities.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Zawya
3 hours ago
- Zawya
Sudan: UN scales up response plan as humanitarian needs rise in Tawila
The aim is to increase assistance for communities over the next three months, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said on Tuesday. The updated plan focuses on food, healthcare, water, sanitation, shelter and protection, and requires $120 million for implementation. Spread of diseases The health situation in North Darfur has also been deteriorating, with humanitarian partners on the ground warning that cholera, measles, malaria and trauma cases are surging in Tawila, El Fasher and Kebkabiya. Insecurity has forced the more than 32 health facilities in the region to close, and the lack of rapid diagnostic tests along with widespread Internet outages are also severely hindering disease surveillance. Critical shortages of surgical supplies, essential medicines and vaccines are 'pushing the health system to the brink, leaving thousands without access to the care that they need to stay alive,' UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said during his daily press briefing from New York. Deadly civilian toll Displacement continues to take a deadly toll on civilians seeking safety. Last week, 17 displaced people reportedly died of thirst and dehydration after their vehicle broke down in the desert, according to officials in Northern state. OCHA also reported that markets in South Darfur are reeling from sharp price increases due to flooding and seasonal rivers cutting off supply routes from Chad and Northern state. Meanwhile, the UN remains 'deeply concerned over escalating violence in the Kordofan region,' Mr. Dujarric said, after five civilians were reportedly killed and several others injured in drone strikes on fuel markets in Al Fula and Abu Zabad towns in West Kordofan state. The UN called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, the protection of civilians and humanitarian personnel, unimpeded access across conflict lines and borders, and increased international support to address the spiraling humanitarian needs across Sudan. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Seven killed in Israeli air strike on Tal al-Hawa, Gaza
Seven Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli air strike targeting a home in Gaza City's Tal al-Hawa neighbourhood, Al Jazeera Arabic reported. The early morning attack also left several others wounded. Hospitals in Gaza remain overwhelmed, with local outlets reporting scenes of starvation and collapse. Medical staff say patients are fainting from hunger, with many too weak to stand — a result of Israel's ongoing blockade and months of relentless bombardment.
Dubai Eye
8 hours ago
- Dubai Eye
Four Gaza children starve to death over 24 hours in deepening hunger crisis
A six-week-old infant and three other children have died of starvation in Gaza in the past 24 hours, local health officials said, with malnutrition and starvation now killing Palestinians faster than at any point in the 21-month war. The infant died at a hospital ward in northern Gaza, the health officials said, naming him as Yousef al-Safadi. The teenager, 13-year-old Abdulhamid al-Ghalban, died in a hospital in the southern city of Khan Younis. The other two were not named. Palestinian health officials say at least 101 people have died of hunger during the conflict, including 80 children, with most of them in recent weeks. In the past 24 hours, there have been 15 reported deaths. Israel controls all aid supplies into the war-ravaged enclave, where most of the population has been displaced multiple times and faces acute shortages of basic necessities. The head of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency said on Tuesday that its staff, as well as doctors and humanitarian workers, were fainting on duty in Gaza due to hunger and exhaustion. "No one is spared: caretakers in Gaza are also in need of care. Doctors, nurses, journalists and humanitarians are hungry," UNRWA Commissioner General Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement. Israel's military said that it "views the transfer of humanitarian aid into Gaza as a matter of utmost importance", and works to facilitate its entry in coordination with the international community. It has denied accusations it is preventing aid from reaching Gaza and has accused Palestinian group Hamas of stealing food, an allegation Hamas denies. "Hospitals are already overwhelmed by the number of casualties from gunfire. They can't provide much more help for hunger-related symptoms because of food and medicine shortages," said Khalil al-Deqran, a spokesperson for the health ministry. Deqran said some 600,000 people were suffering from malnutrition, including at least 60,000 pregnant women. Symptoms among those going hungry include dehydration and anaemia, he said. Baby formula is in critically short supply, according to aid groups, doctors and residents. Israel says its assault on Gaza aims to destroy Hamas, which waged the deadliest attack in Israel's history on October 7, 2023, killing at least 1,200 Israelis including civilians, by its tallies. Israeli bombs and gunfire have killed nearly 60,000 people in Gaza since then, according to local health authorities. Tank shelling killed another 16 people living in tents in Gaza City on Tuesday, as Israeli troops launched attacks across the strip, health officials said. The Israeli military said it wasn't aware of any incident, or artillery in the area at that time. The health ministry said at least 72 Palestinians were killed by Israeli gunfire and military strikes in the past 24 hours.
