The World Food Programme has condemned the looting of a food supply warehouse in Gaza by desperate crowds, noting that urgent humanitarian assistance is needed to alleviate the escalating crisis stemming from a prolonged blockade.
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Escalates as Food Warehouse Raided Amid Scarcity
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Escalates as Food Warehouse Raided Amid Scarcity
Reports emerge of chaotic food raids in Gaza, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation following weeks of an Israeli blockade.
Empty Line
The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported a disturbing incident in Gaza where "hordes of hungry people" broke into a food supply warehouse located in Deir Al-Balah. The chaos resulted in the deaths of two individuals and numerous injuries, with gunfire heard during the break-in; the source of the gunshots remains unclear. Eyewitness footage depicts thousands of people aggressively taking bags of flour and food items from the Al-Ghafari warehouse. The United Nations has emphasized that humanitarian conditions in Gaza have "spiraled out of control," mainly due to a nearly three-month blockade by Israeli forces that only recently saw some easing.
Despite a recent shipment of humanitarian aid into Gaza, including 121 trucks of essential goods, UN Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag criticized the aid as insufficient, akin to "a lifeboat after the ship has sunk," as many residents face starvation. The WFP warns of catastrophic food shortages and demands an immediate reinforcement of food aid to prevent mass hunger. Furthermore, the establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group using private aid distribution methods, has drawn controversy, criticized by the UN as unethical and ineffective while also claiming it's designed to bypass Hamas involvement.
The situation has led to desperate crowds accumulating at GHF distribution centers in southern Gaza. Reports indicate that crowds overwhelmed one site, injuring 47 people. Officials from the UN expressed concern over the looting of aid trucks by desperate citizens, attributing the thefts primarily to criminal gangs, not Hamas. They clarified that a surge in organized aid distribution akin to the recent ceasefire period would, theoretically, reduce the threat of looting and utilize existing humanitarian infrastructures effectively.
In response, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon accused the United Nations of behaving in a "mafia-like" manner and claimed they were jeopardizing the operations of the GHF. UN representatives have labeled the Israeli aid distribution strategy as "engineered scarcity," pointing out that it mainly serves the southern region of Gaza, despite the majority of the population residing in the north.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported a disturbing incident in Gaza where "hordes of hungry people" broke into a food supply warehouse located in Deir Al-Balah. The chaos resulted in the deaths of two individuals and numerous injuries, with gunfire heard during the break-in; the source of the gunshots remains unclear. Eyewitness footage depicts thousands of people aggressively taking bags of flour and food items from the Al-Ghafari warehouse. The United Nations has emphasized that humanitarian conditions in Gaza have "spiraled out of control," mainly due to a nearly three-month blockade by Israeli forces that only recently saw some easing.
Despite a recent shipment of humanitarian aid into Gaza, including 121 trucks of essential goods, UN Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag criticized the aid as insufficient, akin to "a lifeboat after the ship has sunk," as many residents face starvation. The WFP warns of catastrophic food shortages and demands an immediate reinforcement of food aid to prevent mass hunger. Furthermore, the establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a group using private aid distribution methods, has drawn controversy, criticized by the UN as unethical and ineffective while also claiming it's designed to bypass Hamas involvement.
The situation has led to desperate crowds accumulating at GHF distribution centers in southern Gaza. Reports indicate that crowds overwhelmed one site, injuring 47 people. Officials from the UN expressed concern over the looting of aid trucks by desperate citizens, attributing the thefts primarily to criminal gangs, not Hamas. They clarified that a surge in organized aid distribution akin to the recent ceasefire period would, theoretically, reduce the threat of looting and utilize existing humanitarian infrastructures effectively.
In response, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon accused the United Nations of behaving in a "mafia-like" manner and claimed they were jeopardizing the operations of the GHF. UN representatives have labeled the Israeli aid distribution strategy as "engineered scarcity," pointing out that it mainly serves the southern region of Gaza, despite the majority of the population residing in the north.
