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"Siege in Gaza" threatens to bring humanitarian aid efforts to the brink of failure

Impoverished kids, marked by hunger and wounds, and escalated conflicts over scant water resources reportedly persist in Gaza, as Israel maintains its total embargo on humanitarian aid for over two months now. Authorities issue grave alerts about the imminent collapse of relief programs amidst...

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4 min read

"Siege in Gaza" threatens to bring humanitarian aid efforts to the brink of failure

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The ongoing disaster in Gaza is dire, teetering on the brink of collapse. According to Gavin Kelleher, the humanitarian access manager for the Norwegian Refugee Council in Gaza, a catastrophe of unimaginable proportions awaits if immediate action isn't taken.

"The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is on a knife-edge," the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) cautioned. "Without quick intervention, Gaza will plunge deeper into chaos—one that humanitarian efforts are unlikely to ameliorate."

Israel has strict control over all international aid essential for the approximately 2.4 million Palestinians residing in the Gaza Strip. The nation halted aid shipments to Gaza on March 2, mere days before the collapse of a ceasefire that had significantly reduced hostilities following 15 months of conflict.

Since the imposition of the blockade, the United Nations has repeatedly sounded the alarm about the looming humanitarian catastrophe on the ground, with famine again threatening to grip the region. The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) announced last week that it had distributed its last reserves of food supplies to kitchens, and the 25 bakeries it supports in Gaza have closed due to a shortage of essential resources like flour and fuel.

"Food reserves are rapidly dwindling," Olga Cherevko, a spokeswoman for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA, shared during a press conference in Geneva last Friday. She also reported an increase in food-related fatalities, particularly among vulnerable sectors of the population, such as children.

"Starvation is a silent killer," Cherevko added. "Water access is also becoming a major issue". Desperate residents have resorted to fighting one another over the distribution of scarce water resources.

Moreover, a friend of Cherevko living in Gaza City reported that the situation has grown so dire that there isn't even water to quench the thirst of those being burned during explosions, while hospitals—already stretched thin—are running low on blood.

"Gaza's streets are strewn with rubble... The air often carries the screams of the injured following the deafening sound of yet another explosion. It's a horrifying spectacle," she explained.

Kelleher, meanwhile, has decried the escalating incidences of looting and the breakdown of civil order in Gaza, asserting that Israel is not only blocking food shipments into Gaza but has also engineered conditions that prevent the Palestinians from cultivating and fishing for their own food supplies.

Humanitarians also lament the mass displacement of Gaza's population, with nearly every resident having been forced to relocate multiple times prior to the brief ceasefire in March. Since the resumption of hostilities, over 420,000 people have been displaced once more, often fleeing with little more than the clothes on their backs.

"The situation in Gaza is beyond dire," Pascal Hundt, the ICRC's deputy head of operations, stated. "Civilians are facing an unimaginable daily struggle to survive amidst the ongoing hostilities, repeated displacement, and severe lack of humanitarian aid."

The World Health Organization's emergencies director, Mike Ryan, described the current state of affairs as "an atrocity". "We are injuring the bodies and minds of the children in Gaza. We are starving the children in Gaza," he told reporters last Thursday.

Cherevko criticized world leaders who remain silent in the face of endless scenes of suffering, wondering aloud, "How much more blood must be spilled before enough becomes enough?"

© 2025 AFP

Insights:- Key developments: Israel's total blockade of Gaza, reinstated on March 2, 2025, has resulted in severe food shortages, widespread malnutrition, and escalating casualty rates. The situation is reminiscent of the war's onset and demands urgent global intervention.- Calls to action: Humanitarian organizations and UN agencies call on Israel to lift the blockade, allowing humanitarian aid, food, and medical supplies to enter Gaza. They emphasize that Israel is obligated under international law to facilitate relief. Additionally, they demand accountability for the deliberate starvation of civilians, which has been deemed a war crime. Organizations also highlight the need for renewed truces to protect civilians and enable reconstruction. They condemn forced displacement policies as unlawful collective punishment.

  1. The humanitarian crisis in Gaza, precariously balanced, requires immediate intervention to prevent further chaos.
  2. The International Committee of the Red Cross has warned that Gaza's crisis is on the verge of catastrophe.
  3. Israel maintains complete control over international aid essential for the 2.4 million Palestinians residing in Gaza.
  4. Israel halted aid shipments to Gaza on March 2, just before the ceasefire's collapse.
  5. The UN has consistently sounded the alarm about the impending humanitarian disaster in Gaza, with famine becoming a real threat once again.
  6. The WFP announced last week that it had distributed its last food reserves to kitchens.
  7. The 25 bakeries supported by the WFP in Gaza have closed due to a shortage of resources like flour and fuel.
  8. Food reserves in Gaza are rapidly depleting.
  9. Cherevko reported an increase in food-related fatalities, particularly among vulnerable groups like children.
  10. Cherevko stated that starvation is a silent killer.
  11. Water access has also become a significant issue in Gaza.
  12. Residents are fighting each other over scarce water resources.
  13. Hospitals in Gaza, already under strain, are running low on blood.
  14. Streets in Gaza are littered with debris.
  15. The air often carries the screams of the injured after another explosion.
  16. Kelleher has criticized the escalating levels of looting in Gaza and the breakdown of civil order.
  17. Israel, according to Kelleher, not only prevents food shipments into Gaza but also creates conditions that prevent the Palestinians from farming and fishing for their own food.
  18. The displacement of Gaza's population is rampant, with nearly every resident having been forced to relocate multiple times.
  19. Since the resumption of hostilities, over 420,000 people have been displaced once more.
  20. The situation in Gaza is so dire that there isn't even water to put out fires caused by explosions.
  21. Hospitals in Gaza are struggling to cater to the increasing number of injured.
  22. The World Health Organization's emergencies director has described the current state of affairs in Gaza as "an atrocity".
  23. Ryan stated that the ongoing conflict injuries and starvation of children in Gaza constitute war crimes.
  24. Cherevko criticized world leaders for their silence in the face of such suffering.
  25. Cherevko questioned how much more blood must be spilled before enough is enough.
  26. Humanitarian organizations are demanding Israel to lift the blockade, allowing humanitarian aid, food, and medical supplies to enter Gaza.
  27. They emphasize that Israel is obligated under international law to facilitate relief.
  28. Organizations also demand accountability for the deliberate starvation of civilians.
  29. They urge renewed truces to protect civilians and support reconstruction.
  30. They condemn forced displacement policies as unlawful collective punishment.
  31. The situation in Gaza underscores the urgent need for global intervention in Ongoing conflicts.
  32. The world must stand together to ensure the protection of civilians and the prevention of further humanitarian disasters.
Starving, wounded children battling over scarce water resources in Gaza; humanitarian agencies warn of impending collapse of aid operations following Israel's two-month stringent blockade.

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