The isolated north of Gaza is facing a serious humanitarian crisis, with reports of children going without food for days as aid convoys are increasingly denied permits to enter. Some residents have been surviving by grinding animal feed into flour, but even these stocks are now running low. The situation is so dire that people have been digging into the soil to access water pipes for drinking and washing.
The UN has also warned that acute malnutrition among young children in the north has risen sharply and is now above the critical threshold of 15%. The UN’s humanitarian coordination agency, Ocha, reported that over half of the aid missions to the north have been denied access, and there is increasing interference from Israeli forces in how and where aid is delivered.
The situation has reached a critical point, with an estimated 300,000 people in the northern areas largely cut off from assistance and facing a growing risk of famine. Despite these reports, a spokesman for the Israeli military agency tasked with coordinating aid access in Gaza denied the presence of starvation in Gaza. However, residents have confirmed the scarcity of food and water in the region.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has also highlighted the challenges of delivering aid, with four out of the last five aid convoys into the north being stopped by Israeli forces. The situation is exacerbated by the lack of reliable water supplies, with many residents resorting to drinking unpotable water and digging for water due to the scarcity of resources.
The destruction caused by the recent war has further compounded the plight of the residents, with more than half the agricultural land in the central region of Deir al-Balah being damaged. Many families are struggling to find food and water, and there is a looming public health crisis due to a lack of shelter, sanitation, and medical care.
The ongoing conflict is hindering the delivery of much-needed aid to the region, and there is a growing sense of helplessness among the people. A deal between Israel and Hamas is seen as the only way to alleviate the suffering of those trapped in Gaza. As the situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate, urgent action is needed to prevent a full-blown humanitarian catastrophe.
