The World Food Programme (WFP) has warned that the people of Gaza, particularly women and children, risk famine without sustained food aid.
The Rome-based UN agency has provided food to 121,161 people in Gaza since a four-day ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist organisation Hamas began last Friday. It was extended by two days on Tuesday.
WFP’s Director for the Middle East, Corinne Fleischer, said in a statement that thanks to the pause, the UN agency's teams have been able to work on the ground and gain access to areas they had not been able to reach in a long time. "What we see is catastrophic,” she said.
According to the WFP, as a result of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, now in its seventh week, it is highly likely that the inhabitants of Gaza, especially women and children, face a severe risk of famine if the WFP cannot continuously provide food.
A six-day truce is “not enough to have a significant impact,” argues WFP, calling for an “uninterrupted and regular” supply of food to Gaza.
Since the current conflict began, the WFP has provided food aid to 759,082 people in Gaza.
