Latest news with #fooddistribution
Japan Times
an hour ago
- Business
- Japan Times
Trump vowed to remake aid. Is Gaza the future?
U.S. President Donald Trump has slashed American aid and vowed a major rethink on helping the world. A controversial effort to bring food to the Gaza Strip may offer clues on what's to come. Administered by contracted U.S. security with Israeli troops at the perimeter, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) is distributing food through several hubs in the war-ravaged territory. An officially private effort with opaque funding, the GHF began operations on May 26 after Israel completely cut off supplies into Gaza for over two months, sparking warnings of mass famine. The organization said it had distributed 2.1 million meals as of Friday. The initiative excludes the United Nations, which has long coordinated aid distribution in the war-ravaged territory and has infrastructure and systems in place to deliver assistance on a large scale. The U.N. and other major aid groups have refused to cooperate with GHF, saying it violates basic humanitarian principles, and appears crafted to cater to Israeli military objectives. "What we have seen is chaotic, it's tragic and it's resulted in hundreds of thousands of people scrambling in an incredibly undignified and unsafe way to access a tiny trickle of aid," said Ciaran Donnelly, senior vice president of international programs at the International Rescue Committee (IRC). Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said his aid group stopped work in Gaza in 2015 when Hamas militants invaded its office and that it refused to cooperate in Syria when former strongman Bashar Assad was pressuring opposition-held areas by withholding food. "Why on earth would we be willing to let the Israeli military decide how, where and to whom we give our aid as part of their military strategy to herd people around Gaza?" said Egeland. "It's a violation of everything we stand for. It is the biggest and reddest line there is that we cannot cross." Sidelining the U.N. The U.N. said that 47 people were injured Tuesday when hungry and desperate crowds rushed a GHF site — most of them by Israeli gunfire — while a Palestinian medical source said at least one person had died. The Israeli military denied its soldiers fired on civilians and the GHF denied any injuries or deaths. Israel has relentlessly attacked Gaza since Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel has vowed to sideline the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, accusing it of bias and of harboring Hamas militants. UNRWA said that nine out of thousands of staff may have been involved in the Oct. 7 attack and dismissed them, but accuses Israel of trying to throw a distraction. John Hannah, a former senior U.S. policymaker who led a study last year that gave birth to the concepts behind the GHF, said the U.N. seemed to be "completely lacking in self-reflection" on the need for a new approach to aid after Hamas built a "terror kingdom." "I fear that people could be on the brink of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good instead of figuring out how do we take part in this effort, improve it, make it better, scale it up," said Hannah, who is not involved in implementing the GHF. Hannah, a senior fellow at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, defended the use of private contractors, saying that many had extensive Middle East experience from the U.S.-led "war on terror." "We would have been happy if there were volunteers from (other) capable and trusted national forces ... but the fact is, nobody's volunteering," he said. He said he would rather that aid workers coordinate with Israel than Hamas. "Inevitably, any humanitarian effort in a war zone has to make some compromises with a ruling authority that carries the guns," he said. Legitimacy issue Hannah's study had discouraged a major Israeli role in humanitarian work in Gaza, urging instead involvement by Arab states to bring greater legitimacy. Arab states have balked at supporting U.S. efforts as Israel pounds Gaza and after Trump mused about forcibly displacing the whole Gaza population and constructing luxury hotels. Israel and Hamas are negotiating a new Gaza ceasefire that could see a resumption of U.N.-backed efforts. Aid groups say they have vast amounts of aid ready for Gaza that remain blocked. Donnelly said the IRC had 27 tons of supplies waiting to enter Gaza, faulting the GHF for distributing items such as pasta and tinned fish that require cooking supplies — not therapeutic food and treatment for malnourished children. He called for distributing relief in communities where people need it, instead of through militarized hubs. "If anyone really cares about distributing aid in a transparent, accountable, effective way, the way to do that is to use the expertise and infrastructure of aid organizations that have been doing this for decades," Donnelly said.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Hunger relief group says it's facing a $2.5 million budget shortfall due to federal cuts
Feeding South Dakota's Rapid City location on May 30, 2025. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) South Dakota's largest hunger-relief organization says it faces a $2.5 million budget shortfall next year because of President Donald Trump's federal funding cuts. Feeding South Dakota CEO Lori Dykstra addressed lawmakers on a budget committee Friday in Pierre. She said the group has already cut the amount of food it provides and has merged distribution sites. She warned that unless the funding gap is filled, 21 food distribution events in 15 counties will be eliminated, affecting 3,400 families and eliminating more than 1.7 million meals annually. 'We're not here to say whether or not the federal funding decisions are right or wrong,' Dykstra said. 'We're just letting you know that one of the unintentional consequences is that the food safety net for Feeding South Dakota and for all of your neighbors facing hunger is at risk.' The cuts come from the rollback of federal aid by the Trump administration, particularly programs begun during the COVID-19 pandemic to help the U.S. Department of Agriculture support food distribution. Dykstra said the group must now find $2.5 million to replace lost USDA support in fiscal year 2026, which begins July 1, or make cuts. Dykstra also warned that if the current budget reconciliation legislation in Congress is enacted, the state could be on the hook for 5% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and a larger share of SNAP administrative costs, adding up to a possible $13 million total state obligation. SNAP participants can use their benefits to purchase food. 'SNAP benefits get people out of food lines,' she said. 'So, it's either they're in the food bank line or they're in the grocery store.' Dykstra said 113,000 South Dakotans are food insecure, meaning they are uncertain about where their next meal will come from, often forced to skip meals, eat less, or purchase cheaper, less nutritious food. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US Foods Seeing Inflows
USFD is a food distributor, offering frozen and dry food and non-food products to over 250,000 customers throughout the U.S. The company operates multiple food brands and has more than 160 in-person locations for customers to shop. In addition to food, the company also offers its customers e-commerce, technology, and business solutions. As for earnings, USFD's first-quarter fiscal 2025 report showed adjusted EBITDA growing over 9% and adjusted diluted per-share earnings increasing 26%. Net sales jumped by 4.5%, to $9.4 billion. Also, USFD grew its business across its portfolio, including growth in total case volume, independent restaurants, health care, and hospitality. Also, the company authorized a share repurchase program of $1 billion. It's no wonder USFD shares are up 16% this year – and they could rise more. MoneyFlows data shows how Big Money investors are betting heavily on the forward picture of the stock. Institutional volumes reveal plenty. In the last year, USFD has enjoyed strong investor demand, which we believe to be institutional support. Each green bar signals unusually large volumes in USFD shares. They reflect our proprietary inflow signal, pushing the stock higher: Plenty of discretionary names are under accumulation right now. But there's a powerful fundamental story happening with US Foods. Institutional support and a healthy fundamental backdrop make this company worth investigating. As you can see, USFD has had strong sales and earnings growth: 3-year sales growth rate (+8.8%) 3-year sales EPS rate (+63.4%) Source: FactSet Also, EPS is estimated to ramp higher this year by +19.3%. Now it makes sense why the stock has been powering to new heights. USFD has a track record of strong financial performance. Marrying great fundamentals with our proprietary software has found some big winning stocks over the long term. US Foods has been a top-rated stock at MoneyFlows. That means the stock has unusual buy pressure and growing fundamentals. We have a ranking process that showcases stocks like this on a weekly basis. It's made the rare Outlier 20 report multiple times in the last nine years. The blue bars below show when USFD was a top pick…rising with Big Money support: Tracking unusual volumes reveals the power of money flows. This is a trait that most outlier stocks exhibit…the best of the best. Big Money demand drives stocks upward. The USFD rally isn't new at all. Big Money buying in the shares is signaling to take notice. Given the historical gains in share price and strong fundamentals, this stock could be worth a spot in a diversified portfolio. Disclosure: the author holds no position in USFD at the time of publication. If you are a Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) or are a serious investor, take your investing to the next level and follow our free weekly MoneyFlows insights. This article was originally posted on FX Empire Monster's Comeback Continues Product Performance, Big Money Lift Exelixis US Public Debt Trajectory and Interest Payments Set to Worsen and Exceed Sovereign Peers Market Outlook: Crypto Trading Urban Outfitters Seeing Inflows Should You Invest in European Stocks Now? Sign in to access your portfolio
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
Droves of Palestinians overwhelm new Gaza aid centre in Rafah as warning shots ring out
Shots fired in southern Gaza after crowds charge food distribution site 3 days ago Duration 2:01 Social Sharing Chaos erupted on the second day of aid operations by a new U.S.-backed group in Gaza as desperate Palestinians overwhelmed a centre distributing food on Tuesday, breaking through fences. Nearby Israeli troops fired warning shots, sending people fleeing in panic. The Israeli military said its troops fired the warning shots in the area outside the centre and that "control over the situation was established." At least three injured Palestinians were seen by The Associated Press being brought from the scene, one of them bleeding from his leg. "All the people who went did so to eat and feed their children," Jihad Khader told CBC News freelance videographer Mohamed El Saife from the scene. "People went to risk their lives to feed their children." The turmoil came on the second day of operations by a U.S.-backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which Israel has slated to take over food distribution in Gaza — despite opposition from the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations. WATCH | Aid trucks in central Gaza are looted: Aid trucks are looted in central Gaza Strip 3 days ago Duration 0:50 Muhammad Afana, 36, said he and hundreds of other Palestinians were made to stand in four rows, before being searched and marched in groups of 10 to a table to retrieve their box of aid. He spread the contents of the box on the ground for El Saife to see: a few bags of flour, some sugar, tea, pasta, beans, canned tuna and a box of cookies. "I would go to danger to feed my kids," he said. "They will be happy when they see the cookies." 'It was chaos,' man says Palestinians have become desperate for food after nearly three months of an Israeli aid blockade, which has pushed Gaza to the brink of famine, according to the World Health Organization. On Tuesday, hundreds of thousands of men, women and children walked for several kilometres, through Israeli military lines, to reach the GHF distribution hub set up on the outskirts of Rafah, in southern Gaza. Hundreds could be seen carrying boxes of aid out of the scene on their backs, or on bikes or strollers, recounting the chaos they witnessed in order to get some food. In the afternoon, the AP journalist, positioned some distance from the hub, heard tank and gunfire and saw a military helicopter firing flares. Smoke could be seen rising from where one round impacted. Afterwards, crowds were seen returning from the site, almost all of them without aid packages. Ahmed Abu Taha, who was among those seeking aid, said crowds of people stormed into the distribution centre, breaking fences. He heard gunfire and saw Israeli military aircraft overhead. "It was chaos," he said. "People were panicked." Another Palestinian, Saleh Abu Najjar, said he heard a tank firing from a distance, east of the centre. "The situation was very dangerous and people were frightened," he said. 8,000 food boxes handed out so far: GHF In a statement, the GHF said because of the large number of Palestinians seeking aid, staff at the hub followed the group's safety protocols and "fell back" to allow them to dissipate, then later resumed operations. "What happened today is conclusive evidence of the occupation's failure to manage the humanitarian crisis it deliberately created through a policy of starvation, siege and bombing," the Hamas-run government media office said in a statement. Armed private contractors are used by the GHF to guard the hubs and the transportation of supplies. The hub is also close to Israeli military positions in the Morag Corridor, a band of territory across the breadth of Gaza that divides Rafah from the rest of the territory. The GHF has set up four hubs around Gaza to distribute food, two of which began operating on Monday — both of them in the Rafah area. United Nations officials and aid workers have warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and crowds of people seeking aid at the hubs. By late afternoon on Tuesday, the GHF said it had distributed about 8,000 food boxes, equivalent to about 462,000 meals. Father of 7 'afraid' to go to distribution site Although the aid was available on Monday, Palestinians appeared to have heeded warnings, including from Hamas, about biometric screening procedures employed at the foundation's aid distribution sites. "As much as I want to go because I am hungry and my children are hungry, I am afraid," said Abu Ahmed, 55, a father of seven. "I am so scared because they said the company belongs to Israel and is a mercenary, and also because the resistance [Hamas] said not to go," he said in a message on the chat app WhatsApp. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday commented on the turmoil at the Rafah centre, saying, "There was some loss of control momentarily ... happily we brought it under control." COGAT, the Israeli military agency in charge of co-ordinating aid, said on Tuesday that 400 trucks of supplies, mainly food, was waiting on the Gaza side of the main crossing from Israel but that the UN had not collected them. It said Israel has extended the times for collection and expanded the routes that the UN can use inside Gaza. Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office OCHA, told reporters in Geneva that agencies struggle to pick up the supplies "because of the insecure routes that are being assigned to us by the Israeli authorities to use." He said the amount of aid allowed the past week was "vastly insufficient." Aid trucks looted On Tuesday night in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, aid trucks were halted and looted by civilians trying to get their hands on whatever food they could find. The scene was chaotic as people pushed and shoved, some even getting onto the flatbed of the truck to get to its contents. CBC News freelance videographer Mohamed El Saife said he saw boxes of aid being carried away on the backs of some who managed to secure them amid the fighting. He also observed one person opening a box to see the contents inside: a few cans of beans, lentils, oil and rice. WATCH | Palestinians receive aid from GHF amid gunshots and chaos: Controversial U.S. company distributes aid in Gaza amid sounds of gunshots 3 days ago Duration 1:17 Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distributed boxes of aid to Palestinians in Rafah today as gunfire could be heard while people tried to reach the distribution point.
CBC
2 days ago
- General
- CBC
New Gaza aid group met with chaos, gunfire in its first week
In the southern tip of Gaza, along a dusty road that is mostly desolate — but for an Israeli military presence — thousands of Palestinians gathered on Friday for the latest aid distribution from the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The lines were long, the road was dangerous and the possibility of leaving empty handed was high. But people were, and remain, desperate. And after weeks of aid not getting into Gaza, they'll go to any lengths to secure some food. "I'm coming to face death so I can feed my children," Imran Wafi told CBC News, from the side of a road leading to a distribution point. "We know it's dangerous but the big catastrophe is there's no food for us to eat." GHF claims it has delivered over two million meals in Gaza in its first week of operations in the enclave. The U.S.-backed startup was established in February in Switzerland, and has already drawn widespread condemnation from other aid agencies operating in the territory. In a statement to CBC News, GHF said its distributions occurred "without incident" and that it plans to expand its presence in the enclave "including in the northern region" in the weeks to come. It currently runs two sites, one in Rafah and one in central Gaza in the Natsarim corridor. WATCH | GHF delivers aid in Gaza: Controversial U.S. company distributes aid in Gaza amid sounds of gunshots 3 days ago Duration 1:17 But eyewitness reports from the ground say many of those distributions have been chaotic, and that at least one person was killed at a GHF hub — a claim which the organization denies. Video footage from throughout the week shows droves of people breaking through fences and running in every direction amid gunshots. Gaza resident Ahmed Al-Qadi says his friend, Mohamed Abdelhadi, was killed getting aid from GHF at Natsarim on Wednesday. "He went to get aid and on his way home... he turned his back and he got hit," he said. "This aid is with blood, it's dipped in blood." GHF denies anyone was killed during its operations this week. "No civilians or individuals involved with the distribution of aid were injured, no lives were lost," it said in a statement to CBC News. And yet, aid distributions by the group, which started on Monday, have not been without hiccups, many ending with warning shots or chaotic breaks by Palestinians through fences set up to control the lineups. GHF has also faced criticism from organizations including the United Nations, which opposes its operations in Gaza. The previous leading aid group in Gaza, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (UNRWA), was banned from the territory last year by Israel over its staffers' alleged involvement in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack by Hamas which sparked the current war in Gaza. Despite that, UNRWA continued operating and the ban was met with concern from international leaders. The UN said Friday that GHF is an "attempt to circumvent the UN and its agencies on the ground" which have been present in Gaza for a long time "in accordance with international law." The statement went on to say that GHF "fails the test of humanitarian principles." CBC News caught up with people walking back from the distribution point in central Gaza. One man showed the contents of a box containing flour, sugar, pasta and oil. But not everyone was as lucky. Gaza resident Muhammad Abu Gharqud said Thursday was the second time he came to a distribution point and left empty handed. Leaning on a crutch because of his amputated leg, the 45-year-old looked exhausted. "I can't find food for my kids," he said. "I can't find anything." Desperation mounted for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as looting became more frequent this week. Some aid trucks were allowed in but were met with mobs of civilians looking for any food they can get their hands on and particularly flour. Muhammad Shamlakh was at the scene when a truck was looted in Gaza City on Thursday. He said people were "eating each other alive." "The people are dying of hunger," he said. "There's no flour, everything was stolen." WATCH | Palestinians loot aid truck: Aid trucks are looted in central Gaza Strip 3 days ago Duration 0:50 As aid trucks made their way to central Gaza, hundreds of civilians looted them in an effort to secure food after weeks of hunger as aid slowly trickles into the territory.
