Latest news with #aid groups
Khaleej Times
29-07-2025
- Health
- Khaleej Times
'Worst-case' famine unfolding in Gaza, child deaths rising, says UN-backed monitor
Famine is "now unfolding" in Gaza, with thousands of children malnourished and hunger-related deaths on the rise among the youngest, a UN-backed monitor warned on Tuesday. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) said that air drops over Gaza will not be enough to avert the " humanitarian catastrophe". "The worst-case scenario of famine is now unfolding in the Gaza Strip," said the UN-backed group of organisations, used as a monitor to gauge malnutrition. "Immediate, unimpeded" humanitarian access into Gaza was the only way to stop rapidly rising "starvation and death", it said. The IPC issued their warning "alert" after days of aid groups sounding the alarm over hunger-related deaths in Gaza. Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2 after ceasefire talks broke down. In late May, it began allowing a small trickle of aid to resume, amid warnings of a wave of starvation. The IPC said its latest data shows that "famine thresholds" have been reached in "most of the Gaza Strip". Hunger-related deaths of young children, it said, were rising. "Over 20,000 children have been admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, with more than 3,000 severely malnourished." Children under the age of five were dying of hunger, "with at least 16 reported deaths since 17 July", IPC said. "Mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths," it said Tuesday. Plea for access The group warned that "unimpeded lifesaving humanitarian access" was the only way to stop the growing number of deaths. "Failure to act now will result in widespread death in much of the Strip," it said. Over the weekend Israel declared a "tactical pause" in army operations in parts of Gaza, saying more than 120 truckloads of food were allowed in, with some countries — such as Jordan and the UAE — dropping food into the besieged territory. But besides posing a risk to civilians, air drops will be insufficient to "reverse the humanitarian catastrophe", warned the IPC. Delivering food by road is "more effective, safer and faster", it wrote, also warning that the most vulnerable suffering from acute malnutrition — including children — "need access to consistent life-saving treatment" in order to recover. "Without immediate action, starvation and death will continue to spread rapidly and relentlessly," it warned. The IPC alert did not amount to a new famine classification, it said, but was intended to draw attention to the crisis based on "the latest available evidence" through July 25. A more thorough so-called "advisory", in which the group issues its classifications, is underway and will be published as soon as possible, it said. In May, the IPC said there was a "risk of famine" in Gaza. The UN-backed group of organisations and institutions issues an internationally-agreed definition for famine that is used to gauge the level of acute malnutrition in countries.
Bloomberg
28-07-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Israel Eases Gaza Aid Curbs Amid International Outcry
Live on Bloomberg TV CC-Transcript 00:00A lot of international pressure had been building on Israel to do something about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Resume the passage of humanitarian aid. What do we know? What are the latest developments from the weekend in terms of what is being allowed in now? So, I mean, there does seem to be a change of policy there and we'll see how long it lasts, because as you know, we've been here several times before. So what we can see on the ground is air drops going in. And we know that Israel did some and then we had some coming in, I think from from Jordan as well, anyway. Yeah. And you have aid trucks coming in from both Egypt and Jordan. But I think all the aid groups unanimously are saying it's nowhere near enough. So definitely better than last week. But we're talking about a drop in the ocean relative to what's required. And remember, they're playing a lot of catch up here because you have this total blockade for a least two or three months. And it's been a trickle since then. But as you say, the international pressure, I think, has got to the point where it sort of becomes indefensible not to try and do something. Yeah. Is this going to have any bearings on the cease fire discussions which also collapsed towards the end of last week? I mean, to some extent, but I mean, in terms of the actual impacts on the cease fire and the terms and conditions that both sides want. I can't see a change of change there. And we keep coming up against again and again, you know, there's this sort of insurmountable clash, I would say, between what Hamas is asking for and what Israel is asking for. I don't see any change in that, at least at the moment. Yeah. Later today, the UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is going to be meeting with President Trump to discuss trade deal, obviously, and amongst other things they're going to be talking about Gaza. The UK prime minister is also under a lot of pressure now because of President Macron's decision last week to recognise Palestinian statehood. Right. The UK have not said anything to that effect, but he has said that he wants to work with President Trump on pushing for a lasting ceasefire. How much leverage really does the UK Prime Minister have and also how much leverage in this instance does the U.S. have in terms of trying to procure that lasting ceasefire? Yeah, I mean, so starting with the UK on the U.S., I would say next to none, or at least I see no evidence whatsoever that there is any influence there. And that in terms of the sort of the second leg of that, which is the U.S. influence on Bibi, I mean, that waxes and wanes and it kind of depends on what's happening on the ground within Israel. And as you know, Netanyahu is in a more precarious position politically than he was, say, a couple of weeks ago. You know, he's lost his majority, obviously, in the Knesset. And to some extent, he will have to respond, I would suspect, with more thought to what's going on domestically than to the U.S. pressure. That's not to say he ignores what the U.S. is saying, but he's very sort of 5050 about whether he's going to respond in a positive way to what he's being asked to do. Yeah, And also, the U.S. seemed to be a little bit frustrated. And if you listen to the language that came out of Steve Wake of when those ceasefire discussions broke down, he said he doesn't think that Hamas are acting in good faith or in a cooperative manner. So even the U.S. are frustrated with how all this is going.
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israel pauses fighting as outrage grows over crisis in Gaza
The Israel Defense Forces paused fighting in parts of Gaza over the weekend to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Palestinian enclave, with aid groups warning that millions of people are on the brink of starvation. It comes as international outrage grows over the crisis unfolding in the region. NBC News' Raf Sanchez reports. Solve the daily Crossword
