Latest news with #UNWorldFoodProgramme
Leaders
2 hours ago
- Health
- Leaders
UN Decries Organized Looting of Gaza Medical Aid
The United Nations strongly condemned a group of 'armed individuals' for raiding warehouses in Gaza and stealing medical supplies. This incident occurred on Friday, highlighting the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the region. The looted supplies included essential medical equipment, medicines, and nutritional supplements intended for malnourished children. Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, reported that the armed group stormed warehouses at a field hospital in Deir al-Balah. He noted that the stolen aid had arrived in Gaza just a day earlier, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. Dujarric stated, 'As conditions on the ground further deteriorate, looting incidents continue to be reported.' Dujarric highlighted a significant difference between this organized looting and a previous incident involving desperate Palestinians. He explained that the earlier looting of a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse involved individuals seeking food aid. In contrast, he described Friday's event as a 'much more organized operation with armed men.' Humanitarian Crisis Deepens Since the beginning of last week, Israel has allowed a limited amount of aid into Gaza after imposing a total blockade on 2 March. However, the UN warned that the aid provided so far represents 'a drop in the ocean' compared to the overwhelming needs in Gaza. The humanitarian agency stated that '100% of the population is at risk of famine.' Gaza has suffered immensely due to Israel's military offensive, which has resulted in the deaths of at least 54,321 people, primarily civilians. The ongoing conflict has devastated infrastructure, destroying hospitals, schools, and essential services. Dujarric reported that only five truckloads of aid managed to reach Gaza on Thursday, while 60 trucks had to turn back due to intense fighting. Rejection of Israeli Allegations Dujarric rejected Israeli claims that the UN failed to collect available aid, explaining that it was unsafe to use the road designated by Israel's military for aid organizations. He emphasized the presence of 'a lot of armed gangs' operating in the area, making it dangerous for humanitarian efforts. The five trucks that successfully delivered supplies on Thursday carried medical aid for the Deir al-Balah field hospital. Tragically, most of these supplies were looted shortly after their arrival. Dujarric expressed deep sadness over the incident, stating, 'This is very sad and tragic.' Short link : Post Views: 21
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
UN agency says 77 trucks with aid goods were stormed in Gaza
A large number of starving people in the Gaza Strip have stopped, stormed and looted 77 trucks carrying aid goods from the UN World Food Programme (WFP) on their way to distribution centres, the Rome-based agency posted on the platform X on Saturday. "After nearly 80 days of a total blockade, communities are starving - and they are no longer willing to watch food pass them by," the statement said. "To restore hope, ease fear and prevent further chaos, we must flood the communities with food - now. Only consistent large-scale aid can rebuild trust," the WFP wrote. The WFP stated that it is capable of doing so: "WFP has enough food to feed all 2.2 [million] people for 2 months," the post on X further stated. However, this requires safe transport routes in the Gaza Strip, faster approval procedures on the Israeli side and ultimately a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict, which has been ongoing for almost 20 months. After a blockade of aid deliveries lasting several months, Israel has been allowing a small amount of goods into the sealed-off coastal strip for a few days. The blockade was intended to increase pressure on the Palestinian Islamist Hamas movement to release the remaining hostages it is holding in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, the government accused Hamas of stealing aid goods to make money, which Hamas denies.
France 24
a day ago
- Health
- France 24
UN condemns 'armed individuals' for looting medical supplies in Gaza
The group "stormed the warehouses at a field hospital in Deir al-Balah, looting large quantities of medical equipment, supplies, medicines, nutritional supplements that was intended for malnourished children," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The stolen aid had been brought into war-ravaged Gaza just a day earlier, he said. "As conditions on the ground further deteriorate and public order and safety breaks down, looting incidents continue to be reported," he said. But Dujarric highlighted the difference between Friday's event and the looting two days earlier of a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse by "starving" Palestinians, desperate for aid. "This appeared to be much more organized and much different from the looting we'd seen... in the past days," he said. "This was an organized operation with armed men." Since the beginning of last week, Israel has begun to allow a trickle of aid into the Palestinian territory, after a total blockade imposed on March 2. The UN has warned that the aid allowed through so far was "a drop in the ocean" of the towering needs in Gaza, after the blockade created dramatic shortages of food and medicine. The UN humanitarian agency warned Friday that "100 percent of the population (are) at risk of famine." Gaza has been decimated by Israel's punishing military offensive on the territory, which has killed at least 54,321 people, mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures the UN considers reliable. It has also reduced much of the territory to rubble, destroying hospitals, schools, residential areas and basic road and sewage infrastructure. Israel launched its offensive in response to an unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Only five trucks On Thursday, "we and our humanitarian partners only managed to collect five truckloads of cargo from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing," Dujarric said. "Another 60 trucks had to return to the crossing due to intense hostilities in the area." He rejected Israeli allegations that the UN was not collecting available aid. "It was no longer safe to use that road," which Israel's military had asked aid organizations to use, he said, stressing that there are "a lot of armed gangs" operating there. The five trucks that did make it through on Thursday were carrying medical supplies for the Deir al-Balah field hospital.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
UN condemns 'armed individuals' for looting medical supplies in Gaza
The United Nations condemned Friday a group of "armed individuals" for raiding warehouses in the Palestinian territory of Gaza and looting large amounts of medical supplies. The group "stormed the warehouses at a field hospital in Deir al-Balah, looting large quantities of medical equipment, supplies, medicines, nutritional supplements that was intended for malnourished children," said Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The stolen aid had been brought into war-ravaged Gaza just a day earlier, he said. "As conditions on the ground further deteriorate and public order and safety breaks down, looting incidents continue to be reported," he said. But Dujarric highlighted the difference between Friday's event and the looting two days earlier of a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse by "starving" Palestinians, desperate for aid. "This appeared to be much more organized and much different from the looting we'd seen... in the past days," he said. "This was an organized operation with armed men." Since the beginning of last week, Israel has begun to allow a trickle of aid into the Palestinian territory, after a total blockade imposed on March 2. The UN has warned that the aid allowed through so far was "a drop in the ocean" of the towering needs in Gaza, after the blockade created dramatic shortages of food and medicine. The UN humanitarian agency warned Friday that "100 percent of the population (are) at risk of famine." Gaza has been decimated by Israel's punishing military offensive on the territory, which has killed at least 54,321 people, mostly civilians, according to health ministry figures the UN considers reliable. It has also reduced much of the territory to rubble, destroying hospitals, schools, residential areas and basic road and sewage infrastructure. Israel launched its offensive in response to an unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of 1,218 people, also mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. - Only five trucks - On Thursday, "we and our humanitarian partners only managed to collect five truckloads of cargo from the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing," Dujarric said. "Another 60 trucks had to return to the crossing due to intense hostilities in the area." He rejected Israeli allegations that the UN was not collecting available aid. "It was no longer safe to use that road," which Israel's military had asked aid organizations to use, he said, stressing that there are "a lot of armed gangs" operating there. The five trucks that did make it through on Thursday were carrying medical supplies for the Deir al-Balah field hospital. And most of those supplies "were looted today, very sadly and tragically," Dujarric said. abd/nl/aha
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- General
- Irish Independent
‘Let's not forget this is a manmade catastrophe' – Growing desperation for food as Gaza edges closer to famine
UN says the new US-backed aid distribution system won't meet needs of 2.3m people and uses food as a method of controlling people Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Melanie Lidman ©Associated Press Today at 21:30 Palestinians have become increasingly desperate for food as nearly three months of Israeli border closures have pushed the Gaza Strip to the brink of famine. Four Palestinians died yesterday as a chaotic crush of people stormed into a UN World Food Programme warehouse in the central Gaza Strip, as hundreds tried to grab food aid. Register for free to read this story Register and create a profile to get access to our free stories. You'll also unlock more free stories each week.
