Latest news with #food aid
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Israel allows more aid into Gaza, but U.N. says much more needed
A life-line for Gaza's roughly 2 million displaced inhabitants was back in operation on Monday, with convoys of trucks on the move. They were carrying urgently needed food aid after a sudden reversal of policy by Israel. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government announced over the weekend that it would enable more food and medicine to enter the war-torn Palestinian territory after images of hungry people and malnourished children drew international condemnation. Israel has also permitted humanitarian air drops. On Sunday, Israel, Jordan and the UAE all parachuted pallets of aid into the ruins of Gaza. The drops look dramatic, but they're expensive, inefficient and potentially dangerous. People have been hurt and even killed by the heavy pallets during past air drops over the territory. To meet the need, the bulk of the aid will have to come into Gaza by truck. Each truck can carry between 4 and 10 times as much as a parachute. After 22 months of war, including months when Israel blocked all aid coming into Gaza, people are so hungry that they're looting the convoys. Video from over the weekend showed men clambering to pull bags of flour off trucks before they could reach aid depots. International charities have a new name for it — "self-distribution" — and it's a graphic depiction of the level of desperation in the Palestinian enclave. On Sunday, 120 trucks worth of aid moved into Gaza. At least as much was expected to arrive on Monday — but it's not nearly enough. Before the war started, more 500 trucks per day was the norm. Maryam Yahya is one of the roughly 2 million Gazans trying to survive in a tent. "We haven't seen a thing," she said. "No aid ... from land, air or anywhere else." Meanwhile, the war rages on. Israel's military has said it will pause the fighting in heavily populated areas from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m. local time, for an unspecified number of days. But there have been more reports of people being shot trying to access food. In a statement on Monday, the U.N. agency tasked with helping Palestinians, UNRWA, welcomed Israel's declaration of humanitarian pauses and the easing of restrictions on aid entering Gaza, but it stressed that much more was needed. UNRWA warned that, according to its data, "1 in every 5 children is malnourished in Gaza City. More children have reportedly died of hunger; bringing the death toll … to over 100." "We hope that UNRWA will finally be allowed to bring in thousands of trucks loaded with food, medicine and hygiene supplies. They are currently in Jordan and Egypt waiting for the green light," the agency said. "Opening all the crossings and flooding Gaza with assistance is the only way to avert further deepening of starvation among the people of Gaza. What's needed is at least 500/600 trucks of basics every day." The Israeli military has also said it will secure safe routes for aid trucks to deliver and distribute their loads through Gaza. It's something that the U.N.'s aid agencies have been pushing for and, if it works, it will allow much needed food to finally reach the people who so badly need it. "The Wizard of Oz" as you've never seen it before John Oliver: The 60 Minutes Interview Finding the plane used for Argentina's dictatorship-era "death flights" | 60 Minutes Solve the daily Crossword
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Desperate Palestinians swarm aid trucks in Gaza
Heartbreaking scenes purport to show hundreds of Palestinians scrambling for food as trucks entered Gaza from Rafah. Footage shared by Turkish outlet TRT showed men climbing onto vehicles, reportedly after the Israeli military began pauses in the fighting to allow the delivery of aid. Israel yesterday announced limited pauses in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of measures to open the flow of aid as hunger concerns surge. On Monday, Israel said that more than 120 truckloads of food aid had been distributed by the UN and other aid agencies on the first day of the partial pause. Tom Fletcher, the United Nations aid chief, said he expected the pauses to last 'a week or so', which he said was 'clearly insufficient' for the scale of the 'atrocity'. He told the BBC's Today Programme that they faced challenges in bringing aid to Gaza, as 'starving' civilians know the routes of delivery. 'Most of the lorries' on Sunday had flour taken off them by desperate civilians, he said. The people of Gaza got 'quite a bit of food in' yesterday, but 'lots of that got looted', he said. Similar scenes claimed to show 'thousands of Palestinians seeking food' mounting aid trucks in Rafah's Morag corridor on Saturday, before the pause came into effect. Separate footage was said to show protesters trying to block aid from entering Gaza in the early hours of July 28. As aid started to trickle in, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday reiterated that Israel is not conducting a deliberate campaign of starvation in Gaza. 'There is no policy of starvation in Gaza and there is no starvation in Gaza,' he told a conference in Jerusalem. Mr Netanyahu's government faces mounting backlash from aid groups and journalists working in the strip, who warn that Palestinians do face starvation and famine. Mr Fletcher said the UN welcomed 'Israel's decision to support a one-week scale-up of aid, including lifting customs barriers on food, medicine and fuel from Egypt and the reported designation of secure routes for UN humanitarian convoys'. He said some movement restrictions appeared to have been eased on Sunday, citing initial reports indicating that over 100 truckloads of aid were collected. 'But we need sustained action, and fast, including quicker clearances for convoys going to the crossing and dispatching into Gaza; multiple trips per day to the crossings so we and our partners can pick up the cargo; safe routes that avoid crowded areas; and no more attacks on people gathering for food.' The UN aid chief said the world was calling out for life-saving humanitarian assistance to get through - but stressed that 'vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis'. 'Ultimately of course we don't just need a pause - we need a permanent ceasefire,' he added. During the pause on Sunday, at least 63 people were said to have been killed across Gaza. An Al Jazeera reporter in Gaza said that an air strike hit a designated safe area in Gaza City. Locals said that a bakery was targeted. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said the pauses and corridors should allow emergency food to be safely delivered. 'Food aid is the only real way for most people inside Gaza to eat,' it said in a statement. It said a third of the population had not been eating for days, and 470,000 people in Gaza 'are enduring famine-like conditions' that were leading to deaths. It also said it had enough food in, or on its way to, the region to feed the 2.1 million people in the Gaza Strip for almost three months. UN rights chief Volker Turk said Israel, as the occupying power in Gaza, was obliged to ensure sufficient food was provided to the population. 'Children are starving and dying in front of our eyes. Gaza is a dystopian landscape of deadly attacks and total destruction,' he said in a statement. The IDF said that allowing a 'tactical pause in military activity' to allow humanitarian aid in would 'refute the false claim on international starvation'. These were to take place from 10am until 8pm in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, all with large populations. Aid trucks started moving towards Gaza from Egypt, the Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said on Sunday. Dozens of trucks carrying tonnes of humanitarian aid moved towards the Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing in southern Gaza, the Al Qahera correspondent said. Israel said that it began aid airdrops to Gaza on Saturday and was taking several other steps to ease the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Still, Israel faces a growing chorus of voices urging more be done to ensure swift and full delivery of aid to Gaza's civilian population. Last Wednesday, more than 100 largely aid and rights groups called for foreign governments to take action, demanding the lifting of all restrictions on the flow of aid. 'As the Israeli government's siege starves the people of Gaza, aid workers are now joining the same food lines, risking being shot just to feed their families. 'With supplies now totally depleted, humanitarian organisations are witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes,' the organisations said. 'The Government of Israel's restrictions, delays, and fragmentation under its total siege have created chaos, starvation, and death.' Doctors operating in the strip report that scores of Palestinians have died from malnutrition in recent days, amid aid shortages. And France's Agence France-Presse (AFP) news agency warned last week its journalists 'might die of hunger', urging Israel to allow reporters to leave. Israel has said that Hamas is using a so-called 'famine narrative' to leverage hostage talks. Last week, Israel and the United States said they were leaving talks in Doha, suggesting a cynical 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire' from Hamas. Hamas responded with incredulity and insisted it did want to continue negotiations. Israel has said it will not agree to a ceasefire until Hamas gives up power in Gaza and disarms. Hamas says it is willing to leave power but not give up its weapons. For the time being, the people of Gaza and Israel are no closer to lasting peace and the return of the hostages still held by Hamas. Israel has always maintained that it is not responsible for the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. But its allies outside of the United States increasingly issue warnings that civilians are starving and Israel must do more to uphold its obligations under international humanitarian law. Israel had hitherto supported a US-backed private aid operation called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). But the mission too faced pressure after the UN reported that Israeli forces had killed more than 1,000 Palestinians seeking food aid, mostly near the distribution points. Israel accused Hamas of instigating chaos near the aid sites. It said its troops had only fired warning shots, and that they do not deliberately shoot civilians. The GHF accused Hamas of massive aid theft in defending its distribution model. But an internal U.S. government analysis released last week found no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas of U.S.-funded humanitarian supplies, challenging the main rationale that Israel and the U.S. give for backing the aid operation.
Malay Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Malay Mail
Hunger is killing Gaza's children, and it's man-made, says WHO
GENEVA, July 28 — Malnutrition rates are reaching 'alarming levels' in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization warned Sunday, saying the 'deliberate blocking' of aid was entirely preventable and had cost many lives. 'Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,' the WHO said in a statement. Of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July — including 24 children under five, one child aged over five, and 38 adults, it added. 'Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting,' the UN health agency said. 'The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.' Israel on Sunday began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. But the WHO called for sustained efforts to 'flood' the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food, and for the expedited delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, plus essential medicines and supplies. 'This flow must remain consistent and unhindered to support recovery and prevent further deterioration', the Geneva-based agency said. On Wednesday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called the situation 'mass starvation — and it's man-made'. 'Dangerous cycle' of death Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, the WHO said Sunday, citing its Nutrition Cluster partners. It said the per centage of children aged six to 59 months suffering from acute malnutrition had tripled in the city since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Palestinian territory. 'These figures are likely an underestimation due to the severe access and security constraints preventing many families from reaching health facilities,' the WHO said. The WHO said that in the first two weeks of July, more than 5,000 children under five had been admitted for outpatient treatment of malnutrition — 18 per cent of them with the most life-threatening form, severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The 6,500 children admitted for malnutrition treatment in June was the highest number since the war began in October 2023. A further 73 children with SAM and medical complications have been hospitalised in July, up from 39 in June. 'This surge in cases is overwhelming the only four specialised malnutrition treatment centres,' the WHO said. Furthermore, the organisation said the breakdown of water and sanitation services was 'driving a dangerous cycle of illness and death'. As for pregnant and breastfeeding women, Nutrition Cluster screening data showed that more than 40 per cent were severely malnourished, the WHO said. 'It is not only hunger that is killing people, but also the desperate search for food,' the UN health agency said. 'Families are being forced to risk their lives for a handful of food, often under dangerous and chaotic conditions,' it added. The UN rights office says Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the Israel- and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operations in late May. Nearly three-quarters of them died near GHF sites. — AFP
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
WHO says malnutrition reaching 'alarming levels' in Gaza
Malnutrition rates are reaching "alarming levels" in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization warned Sunday, saying the "deliberate blocking" of aid was entirely preventable and had cost many lives. "Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July," the WHO said in a statement. Of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July -- including 24 children under five, one child aged over five, and 38 adults, it added. "Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting," the UN health agency said. "The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives." Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, the WHO said, citing its Nutrition Cluster partners. It said the percentage of children aged six to 59 months suffering from acute malnutrition had tripled in the city since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Palestinian territory. In Khan Yunis and middle Gaza, those rates have doubled in less than a month, it added. "These figures are likely an underestimation due to the severe access and security constraints preventing many families from reaching health facilities," the WHO said. Israel on Sunday began a limited "tactical pause" in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. But the WHO called for sustained efforts to "flood" the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food, and for the expedited delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, plus essential medicines and supplies. "This flow must remain consistent and unhindered to support recovery and prevent further deterioration", the Geneva-based agency said. rjm/jj
Jordan Times
2 days ago
- General
- Jordan Times
Jordan, UAE conduct new airdrop of aid over Gaza
AMMAN — The Jordan Armed Forces–Arab Army (JAF) on Sunday carried out three airdrops of humanitarian and food aid over the Gaza Strip, including one conducted jointly with the UAE The airdrops, delivered by C130 aircraft operated by the Royal Jordanian Air Force and the UAE Air Force, transported a total of 25 tonnes of essential food items and humanitarian supplies, according to a JAF statement. Targeting multiple locations across the besieged enclave, the operation is part of Jordan's humanitarian campaign to support the Palestinian people. The mission was coordinated with the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation (JHCO) and carried out in partnership with friendly and allied countries, as well as international humanitarian agencies, the statement said. It aims to alleviate the severe humanitarian crisis and assist residents in coping with the devastating consequences of the ongoing war in Gaza. Airdrops serve as a vital supplement to Jordan's aid strategy, enabling rapid delivery of specialised assistance to areas that are otherwise inaccessible by land, the statement said. Officials emphasised that aidrops are not a substitute for ground-based aid, which remains the primary and most effective channel for delivering large-scale humanitarian relief to Gaza. Since the onset of the Israeli war on Gaza on October 7, Jordan has dispatched 181 ground aid convoys, comprising 7,932 trucks, through joint efforts of JHCO, the World Food Programme, and the World Central Kitchen. To date, the JAF has conducted 127 airdrops independently, in addition to 267 coordinated airdrops in cooperation with regional and international partners. Jordan's field hospitals also continue to provide critical medical care in both northern and southern Gaza. Medical teams at these hospitals, as well as at the Jordanian field hospital in Nablus and surgical stations in Jenin and Ramallah, are offering services across various specialities. The field hospital in Northern Gaza has treated over 120,588 patients, while the southern facility has provided care to more than 362,389 individuals. Together, the hospitals have performed over 36,000 surgeries and fitted 532 upper and lower prosthetic limbs as part of the "Hope Restoration" initiative. Additionally, 112 injured and sick children, along with 241 accompanying family members, have been evacuated from Gaza for treatment in Jordan under the 'Medical Corridor' initiative launched by His Majesty King Abdullah. The initiative aims to treat 2,000 sick and wounded children from Gaza in Jordanian hospitals, the statement said.
