Latest news with #RikPeeperkorn
TimesLIVE
5 days ago
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Gaza facing man-made 'mass starvation', says WHO's Tedros
Gaza's food stocks have run out since Israel, at war with Palestinian militant group Hamas since October 2023, cut off all supplies to the territory in March and then lifted that blockade in May — but with restrictions that it says are needed to prevent aid from being diverted to militant groups. As a result, international aid agencies say that only a trickle of what is needed is reaching people in Gaza. Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants. It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's 2.2-million people. Ten more Palestinians died overnight from starvation, the Gaza health ministry said, bringing the total number of people who have starved to death to 111, most of them in recent weeks as a wave of hunger crashes on the Palestinian enclave. The WHO said the deadly surge in malnutrition has caused the deaths of at least 21 children reported to the agency in 2025, but stressed those figures are likely the tip of the iceberg. Centres for treating malnutrition are full without sufficient supplies for emergency feeding, the WHO added, as the hunger crisis has been compounded by the collapse of aid pipelines and restrictions on access. Tedros also said the UN and its humanitarian partners were unable to deliver any food for nearly 80 days between March and May, and the resumption of deliveries was still insufficient. The situation is dire, he and other WHO officials said, with about 10% of people screened experiencing either severe or moderate malnutrition, and up to 20% of pregnant women. In July alone, 5,100 children have been admitted to malnutrition programmes, including 800 who were severely emaciated, said Rik Peeperkorn, WHO's representative for the occupied Palestinian territories.
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
More than 100 aid groups warn of starvation in Gaza as Israeli strikes kill 29, officials say
Advertisement Israel says it allows enough aid into the territory and faults delivery efforts by UN agencies, which say they are hindered by Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of security. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 50 hostages it holds, around 20 of them believed to be alive, in exchange for a lasting cease-fire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel has vowed to recover all the captives and continue the war until Hamas has been defeated or disarmed. In an open letter, 115 organizations, including major international aid groups such as Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Corps, and Save the Children, said they were watching their colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, 'waste away.' The letter blamed Israeli restrictions and 'massacres' at aid-distribution points. Witnesses, health officials, and the UN human rights office say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on crowds seeking aid, killing more than 1,000 people. Israel says its forces have only fired warning shots and that the death toll is exaggerated. Advertisement The Israeli government's 'restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death,' the letter said. WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed that criticism, telling reporters that acute malnutrition centers in Gaza are full of patients and lack adequate supplies. He said rates of acute malnutrition exceed 10 percent and that among pregnant and breastfeeding women, more than 20 percent are malnourished, often severely. The UN health agency's representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, said there were more than 30,000 children under 5 with acute malnutrition in Gaza and that the WHO had reports that at least 21 children under 5 have died so far this year. The Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected the criticism in the open letter and accused the groups of 'echoing Hamas' propaganda.' It said it has allowed around 4,500 aid trucks into Gaza since lifting a complete blockade in May, and that more than 700 trucks are waiting to be picked up and distributed by the UN. That's an average of around 70 trucks a day, the lowest rate of the war and far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the UN says are needed, and which entered during a six-week cease-fire earlier this year. The UN says it has struggled to deliver aid inside Gaza because of Israeli military restrictions, ongoing fighting, and a breakdown of law and order. An alternative system established by Israel and an American contractor has been marred by violence and controversy. Advertisement White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Witkoff was headed to Europe to meet with key leaders from the Middle East to discuss the latest cease-fire proposal and release of hostages. 'We want this cease-fire to happen as soon as possible, and we want these hostages to be released,' Leavitt said. An official familiar with the negotiations said Ron Dermer, a top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was traveling to Rome to meet Witkoff on Thursday. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations. The evolving deal is expected to include a 60-day cease-fire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce. Israel has continued to carry out waves of daily airstrikes against what it says are militant targets but which often kill women and children. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. One of the overnight strikes hit a house in Gaza City, killing at least 12 people, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties. The dead included six children and two women, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Israeli military said it struck an Islamic Jihad militant, and that the incident was under review because of reports of civilian casualties. Shifa said another strike late Tuesday in Gaza City killed three children. A strike on an apartment in northern Gaza killed at least six people. Among the dead were three children and two women, including one who was pregnant, the ministry said. The military said it struck a Hamas operative. Advertisement In central Gaza, a strike in a densely populated part of the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp killed eight people and wounded 57, according to Awda Hospital, which received the casualties. Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the Oct. 7 attack and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The UN and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties.
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Health
- Boston Globe
More than 100 aid groups warn of starvation in Gaza as Israeli strikes kill 21, officials say
Advertisement Israel says it allows enough aid into the territory and faults delivery efforts by U.N. agencies, which say they are hindered by Israeli restrictions and the breakdown of security. Hamas has said it will only release the remaining 50 hostages it holds, around 20 of them believed to be alive, in exchange for a lasting ceasefire and an Israeli withdrawal. Israel has vowed to recover all the captives and continue the war until Hamas has been defeated or disarmed. 'Chaos, starvation and death' In an open letter, 115 organizations, including major international aid groups such as Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Corps and Save the Children, said they were watching their own colleagues, as well as the Palestinians they serve, 'waste away.' The letter blamed Israeli restrictions and 'massacres' at aid distribution points. Witnesses, health officials and the U.N. human rights office say Israeli forces have repeatedly fired on crowds seeking aid, killing more than 1,000 people. Israel says its forces have only fired warning shots and that the death toll is exaggerated. Advertisement The Israeli government's 'restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death,' the letter said. WHO Director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed that criticism, telling reporters that acute malnutrition centers in Gaza are full of patients and lack adequate supplies. He said rates of acute malnutrition exceed 10% and that among pregnant and breastfeeding women, more than 20% are malnourished, often severely. The U.N. health agency's representative in the occupied Palestinian territories, Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, said there were more than 30,000 children under 5 with acute malnutrition in Gaza and that the WHO had reports that at least 21 children under 5 have died so far this year. Israel says critics are 'echoing Hamas' propaganda' The Israeli Foreign Ministry rejected the criticism in the open letter and accused the groups of 'echoing Hamas' propaganda.' It said it has allowed around 4,500 aid trucks into Gaza since lifting a complete blockade in May, and that more than 700 are waiting to be picked up and distributed by the U.N. That's an average of around 70 trucks a day, the lowest rate of the war and far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed, and which entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year. The U.N. says it has struggled to deliver aid inside Gaza because of Israeli military restrictions, ongoing fighting and a breakdown of law and order. An alternative system established by Israel and an American contractor has been marred by violence and controversy. Advertisement Top adviser to Netanyahu will meet US envoy in Rome An official familiar with ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas said Ron Dermer, a top adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was traveling to Rome to meet Witkoff on Thursday to discuss the state of the talks. The official spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the sensitive negotiations. U.S. officials said Witkoff planned to head to Europe this week. The State Department spokesperson said he was headed to the Middle East in a sign that momentum may be building toward a deal. The evolving deal is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. Aid supplies would be ramped up, and the two sides would hold negotiations on a lasting truce. Overnight strikes kill at least 21 Israel has continued to carry out waves of daily airstrikes against what it says are militant targets but which often kill women and children. Israel blames civilian deaths on Hamas because the militants operate in densely populated areas. Strikes overnight and into Wednesday killed at least 21 people, more than half of them women and children, according to local health officials. One of the strikes hit a house in Gaza City, killing at least 12 people, according to Shifa Hospital, which received the casualties. The dead included six children and two women, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. The Israeli military said it struck an Islamic Jihad militant, and that the incident was under review because of reports of civilian casualties. Another strike hit an apartment in northern Gaza, killing at least six people. Among the dead were three children and two women, including one who was pregnant. Eight others were wounded, the ministry said. A third strike hit a tent in Gaza City late Tuesday and killed three children, Shifa Hospital said. Advertisement There was no immediate comment from the military on those strikes. Hamas-led militants abducted 251 people in the Oct. 7 attack and killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians. More than 59,000 Palestinians have been killed during the war, according to Gaza's Health Ministry. Its count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the most reliable source of data on casualties. Goldenberg reported from Tel Aviv, Israel.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
WHO says Gaza's Nasser hospital 'one massive trauma ward'
Geneva: Nasser hospital in Gaza is operating as "one massive trauma ward" due to an influx of patients wounded at non-United Nations food distribution sites run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation , the World Health Organization said on Friday. The U.S.- and Israeli-backed GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of deliveries that the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. It has repeatedly denied that incidents involving people killed or wounded at its sites have occurred. The GHF told Reuters on Friday that "the most deadly attacks on aid sites have been linked to U.N. convoys," and said the U.N. and humanitarian groups should work "collaboratively" with the GHF to "maximise the amount of aid being securely delivered into Gaza". The U.N. in Geneva was immediately available for comment. Referring to medical staff at the Nasser hospital, Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the West Bank and Gaza, told reporters in Geneva: "They've seen already for weeks, daily injuries ... (the) majority coming from the so-called safe non-UN food distribution sites. The hospital is now operating as one massive trauma ward." Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19. The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded at least 613 killings both at aid points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and near humanitarian convoys. "We have recorded 613 killings, both at GHF points and near humanitarian convoys - this is a figure as of June 27. Since then ... there have been further incidents," Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters in Geneva. The OHCHR said 509 of the 613 were killed near GHF distribution points. The GHF dismissed these numbers as coming "directly from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry" and were being used to "falsely smear" its effort. The GHF has previously said it has delivered more than 60 million meals to hungry Palestinians in five weeks "safely and without interference", while other humanitarian groups had "nearly all of their aid looted." The U.N. office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that there have been some instances of violent looting and attacks on aid truck drivers, which it described as unacceptable. BULLET WOUNDS Hundreds of patients, mainly young boys, were being treated for traumatic injuries, including bullet wounds to the head, chest and knees, according to the WHO. Peeperkorn said health workers at Nasser hospital and testimonies from family members and friends of those wounded confirmed that the victims had been trying to access aid at sites run by the GHF. Peeperkorn recounted the cases of a 13-year-old boy shot in the head, as well as a 21-year-old with a bullet lodged in his neck which rendered him paraplegic. "There is no chance for any reversal or any proper treatment. Young lives are being destroyed forever," Peeperkorn said, urging for the fighting to stop and for more food aid to be allowed into Gaza. The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, while displacing most of the population of more than 2 million, triggering widespread hunger and leaving much of the territory in ruins.
Daily Maverick
04-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Maverick
WHO says Gaza's Nasser hospital ‘one massive trauma ward'
The U.S.-and Israeli-backed GHF began distributing food packages in Gaza at the end of May, overseeing a new model of deliveries that the United Nations says is neither impartial nor neutral. It has repeatedly denied that incidents involving people killed or wounded at its sites have occurred. Referring to medical staff at the Nasser hospital, Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative in the West Bank and Gaza, told reporters in Geneva: 'They've seen already for weeks, daily injuries … (the) majority coming from the so-called safe non-UN food distribution sites. The hospital is now operating as one massive trauma ward.' Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza on May 19. The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded at least 613 killings both at aid points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation and near humanitarian convoys. 'We have recorded 613 killings, both at GHF points and near humanitarian convoys – this is a figure as of June 27. Since then … there have been further incidents,' Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the U.N. Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, told reporters in Geneva. The OHCHR said 509 of the 613 were killed near GHF distribution points. The GHF has previously said it has delivered more than 52 million meals to hungry Palestinians in five weeks 'safely and without interference', while other humanitarian groups had 'nearly all of their aid looted.' The U.N. office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said that there have been some instances of violent looting and attacks on aid truck drivers, which it described as unacceptable. BULLET WOUNDS Hundreds of patients, mainly young boys, were being treated for traumatic injuries, including bullet wounds to the head, chest and knees, according to the WHO. Peeperkorn said health workers at Nasser hospital and testimonies from family members and friends of those wounded confirmed that the victims had been trying to access aid at sites run by the GHF. Peeperkorn recounted the cases of a 13-year-old boy shot in the head, as well as a 21-year-old with a bullet lodged in his neck which rendered him paraplegic. 'There is no chance for any reversal or any proper treatment. Young lives are being destroyed forever,' Peeperkorn said, urging for the fighting to stop and for more food aid to be allowed into Gaza. The war began when Hamas fighters stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. Israel's subsequent military assault has killed more than 57,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, while displacing most of the population of more than 2 million, triggering widespread hunger and leaving much of the territory in ruins. U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday it would probably be known in 24 hours whether Hamas has agreed to accept what he has called a 'final proposal' for a ceasefire in Gaza.
