Latest news with #food crisis
CBC
4 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Israel begins limited pause in fighting as criticism mounts over hunger in Gaza
Social Sharing The Israeli military on Sunday began a limited pause in fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day, part of a series of steps launched as concerns over surging hunger in the territory mount and as Israel faces a wave of international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month war. The military said it would begin a "tactical pause" in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi, three areas of the territory with large populations, to "increase the scale of humanitarian aid" entering the territory. The pause begins every day at 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. local time until further notice. The military also said that it would put in place secure routes for aid delivery and that it carried out aid airdrops into Gaza, which included packages of aid with flour, sugar and canned food. WATCH | Relief worker speaks about Gaza food crisis: International Network for Aid Relief and Assistance founder Awara Damon on the food crisis in Gaza 11 hours ago Get the latest on the CBC News App, and CBC News Network for breaking news and analysis Food experts have warned for months of the risk of famine in Gaza, where Israel has restricted aid because it says Hamas siphons off goods to help bolster its rule, without providing evidence for that claim. Images emerging from Gaza in recent days of emaciated children have fanned global criticism of Israel, including by close allies, who have called for an end to the war and the humanitarian catastrophe it has spawned. Israel said the new measures were taking place while it continues its offensive against Hamas in other areas. Ahead of the pause, health officials in Gaza said at least 16 Palestinians were killed in separate strikes. "This [humanitarian] truce will mean nothing if it doesn't turn into a real opportunity to save lives," said Dr. Muneer al-Boursh, director general of Gaza's Health Ministry, who called for a flood of medical supplies and other goods to help treat child malnutrition. "Every delay is measured by another funeral." The local pause in fighting came days after ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas appeared to be in doubt. On Friday, Israel and the U.S. recalled their negotiating teams, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering "alternative options" to ceasefire talks with the militant group. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, it has allowed in around 4,500 trucks for the U.N. and other aid groups to distribute. The average of 69 trucks a day, however, is far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the U.N. says are needed for Gaza. The UN says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from its arriving trucks. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the UN's control, Israel has backed the U.S.-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centres distributing boxes of food supplies. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those new aid sites, the UN human rights office says. Israel has railed against the UN throughout the war, saying that its system allowed Hamas to steal aid. The UN denies that claim and says its delivery mechanism was the best way to bring aid to Palestinians. The military said the new steps were made in coordination with the UN and other humanitarian groups. There was no immediate comment from the UN. Much of Gaza's population, squeezed by fighting into ever tinier patches of land, now relies on aid. The latest war began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel in October 2023, when militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Hamas still holds 50 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians, 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.
Arab News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Food situation in Gaza ‘absolutely desperate,' charity warns
LONDON: Rachael Cummings, the humanitarian director for Save the Children, described the food situation in Gaza as 'absolutely desperate' and 'the worst it has ever been.' She spoke to Sky News from Deir Al-Balah on Tuesday, a city in central Gaza where Israeli forces launched a bombing campaign this week and where tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought shelter. 'One of my colleagues said to me yesterday: 'We are all walking together towards death'. And this is the situation now for people in Gaza. 'There is no food for their children; it's absolutely desperate here,' she said during the video call. Markets in the territory are devoid of goods, she added, and people with cash are unable to find bread or vegetables to buy. 'My team have said to me: 'There's nothing in my house to feed my children, my children are crying all day, every day'.' Cummings' remarks came as the UK, along with 24 other nations, issued a joint statement on Monday calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and criticizing the US-Israeli model of aid distribution. In recent weeks, hundreds of Palestinians have reportedly been killed while attempting to obtain food from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a controversial organization supported by the US and Israel. 'The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity,' the joint statement said. The 25 countries also called for the 'immediate and unconditional release' of hostages captured by Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks. Sources informed Reuters that Israel suspects some hostages taken by the armed group may be located near Deir Al-Balah. Meanwhile, several humanitarian organizations, including UNRWA and the Norwegian Refugee Council, have also warned that some of their staff are starving due to low food and drinking water supplies in the territory. Since Sunday, 21 children have died in Gaza due to severe malnutrition and hunger-related complications, amid shortages of food and medical supplies. UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy pledged £40 million ($54 million) for humanitarian assistance in Gaza on Tuesday. Charity staffer Liz Allcock, who works for Medical Aid for Palestinians in Gaza, welcomed the announcement, but told Sky News: 'There have been (similar) statements in the past 21 months and nothing has changed. In fact, things have only got worse. And every time we think it can't get worse, it does. 'Without a reversal of the siege, the lack of supplies, the constant bombardment, the forced displacement, the killing and the militarization of aid, we are going to collapse as a humanitarian response,' she said. 'And this would do a grave injustice to the 2.2 million people we're trying to serve.'
Sky News
22-07-2025
- General
- Sky News
Middle East latest: Trump 'caught off guard' by recent Israeli strikes in Gaza and Syria
Food situation in Gaza 'the worst its ever been' A charity director based in Deir al-Balah has said the food situation in Gaza is "absolutely desperate" and "the worst its ever been". Rachael Cummings, humanitarian director for Save The Children, has been based in the Strip since February last year. Speaking to Sky's chief presenter Mark Austin, she said: "One of my colleagues said to me yesterday, 'We are all walking together towards death'. And this is the situation now for people in Gaza. "There is no food for their children, it's absolutely desperate here." "The markets are empty," Ms Cummings said. "People may even have cash in their pockets yet they cannot buy bread [or] vegetables. "My team have said to me, 'There's nothing in my house to feed my children, my children are crying all day, every day." She also shared fears over Israel's latest evacuation orders "forcibly displacing people when there is nowhere for people to go". Gazans in Deir al-Balah have been told to head south and towards the coast. "Where people are being pushed into is extremely overcrowded," she said. "It's a very dangerous place, especially for children."
Sky News
22-07-2025
- Health
- Sky News
Gaza food situation 'worst it's ever been', charity says - as tank attack reportedly kills 12 at camp
An aid worker in Gaza has told Sky News the food situation in the enclave is "absolutely desperate" and "the worst it's ever been". Her comments to chief presenter Mark Austin come amid fresh outcry over aid restrictions, with the UK joining 24 other countries to urge an immediate end to the war. It also comes as at least 12 more Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded when tanks shelled a tent encampment in western Gaza City, according to health authorities. Medics, speaking early on Tuesday, said two shells were fired at tents housing displaced people from tanks positioned north of the Shati camp. Israel hasn't yet commented on the reports. She said: "One of my colleagues said to me yesterday, 'We are all walking together towards death'. And this is the situation now for people in Gaza. "There is no food for their children, it's absolutely desperate here." "The markets are empty," she said. "People may even have cash in their pockets yet they cannot buy bread [or] vegetables. "My team have said to me, 'There's nothing in my house to feed my children, my children are crying all day, every day." Israel launched a ground assault on southern and eastern Deir al Balah for the first time on Monday after having issued an evacuation order. Local medics said at least three people were killed when houses and mosques were hit by tank shelling. Sources told Reuters news agency that Israel believes some of the hostages kidnapped by Hamas in October 2023 could be in the area. Ms Cummings's remarks came as the UK and 24 other nations issued a joint statement calling for a ceasefire. The statement criticised aid distribution in Gaza, which is being managed by a US and Israel-backed organisation, Gaza Health Foundation (GHF). Hundreds of people have reportedly been killed while trying to get food in recent weeks, both from GHF and UN convoys. "The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity," the joint statement said. The 25 countries also called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of hostages captured by Hamas during the 7 October 2023 attacks. Lammy promises £40m for Gaza Foreign Secretary David Lammy has promised £40m for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. He told MPs: "We are leading diplomatic efforts to show that there must be a viable pathway to a Palestinian state involving the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, in the security and governance of the area. "Hamas can have no role in the governance of Gaza, nor use it as a launchpad for terrorism." 2:53 Addressing the foreign secretaries' joint written statement, charity worker Liz Allcock - who works for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in Gaza - told Sky News: "While we welcome this, there have been statements in the past 21 months and nothing has changed. "In fact, things have only got worse. And every time we think it can't get worse, it does." "Without a reversal of the siege, the lack of supplies, the constant bombardment, the forced displacement, the killing, the militarisation of aid, we are going to collapse as a humanitarian response," she said. "And this would do a grave injustice to the 2.2 million people we're trying to serve. "An immediate and permanent ceasefire, and avenues for accountability in line with international law, is the minimum people here deserve." The war in Gaza started in response to Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and saw about 250 taken hostage. More than 59,000 Palestinians have since been killed, with more than half being women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. In recent weeks while waiting for food and aid.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gaza food situation 'worst it's ever been', charity says – as UK promises £40m in aid
An aid worker in the central Gaza Strip has told Sky News the food situation in the enclave is "absolutely desperate" and "the worst it's ever been". Her comments to Sky's come amid fresh international outcry over Israel's restrictions on aid, as the UK has joined together with 24 other countries to say: "The war in Gaza must end now." Rachael Cummings, humanitarian director for Save The Children, is in Deir al Balah, a city in central where tens of thousands of people have sought refuge during repeated waves of mass displacement. Middle East latest: She said: "One of my colleagues said to me yesterday, 'We are all walking together towards death'. And this is the situation now for people in Gaza. "There is no food for their children, it's absolutely desperate here." "The markets are empty," she said. "People may even have cash in their pockets yet they cannot buy bread [or] vegetables. "My team have said to me, 'There's nothing in my house to feed my children, my children are crying all day, every day." Israel launched a ground assault on Deir al Balah on Monday morning, . Ms Cummings's comments came as the UK and 24 other nations issued a joint statement calling for a ceasefire. The statement criticised aid distribution in Gaza, which is being managed by a US and Israel-backed organisation, Gaza Health Foundation. "The Israeli government's aid delivery model is dangerous, fuels instability and deprives Gazans of human dignity," it said. The 25 countries also called for the "immediate and unconditional release" of hostages captured by Hamas during the 7 October 2023 attacks. Lammy promises £40m for Gaza aid Foreign Secretary David Lammy later promised £40m for humanitarian assistance in Gaza. He told MPs: "We are leading diplomatic efforts to show that there must be a viable pathway to a Palestinian state involving the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas, in the security and governance of the area. "Hamas can have no role in the governance of Gaza, nor use it as a launchpad for terrorism." Addressing the foreign secretaries' joint written statement, charity worker Liz Allcock - who works for Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in Gaza - told Sky News: "While we welcome this, there have been statements in the past 21 months and nothing has changed. "In fact, things have only got worse. And every time we think it can't get worse, it does." "Without a reversal of the siege, the lack of supplies, the constant bombardment, the forced displacement, the killing, the militarisation of aid, we are going to collapse as a humanitarian response," she said. "And this would do a grave injustice to the 2.2 million people we're trying to serve. "An immediate and permanent ceasefire, and avenues for accountability in line with international law, is the minimum people here deserve." The war in Gaza started in response to Hamas's attack on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and saw about 250 taken hostage. More than 59,000 Palestinians have since been killed, with more than half being women and children, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its count. In recent weeks while waiting for food and aid. The Israeli military has blamed Hamas militants for fomenting chaos and endangering civilians.
