Gaza: WFP warns of worsening starvation as aid access remains blocked | United Nations

World Food Programme (WFP) deputy chief Carl Skau said, “one in three people in Gaza goes for days without eating.” He once again called for a ceasefire and the access for humanitarian aid, the Programme has "enough food on the borders to be delivered to the entire population for some two months," he said. The Deputy Executive Director briefed reporters today (11 Jul) in New York on his recent visit to Gaza. “Starvation is spreading,” Skau said, referring to the recent IPC report a few weeks ago pointing to the entire population being acutely food insecure and 500,000 people in starvation, he added, “it's much worse now. Malnutrition is surging.” The senior WFP official also highlighted the displacement in the Strip. He said, “I've met families who have moved maybe two or three times. Now it's a situation where I meet families who have moved two or three times in the past ten days. They have moved 20 or 30 times, and obviously every time they are able to bring less and the margins to survive become slimmer Skau also said that the Programme’s ability to response and assist as humanitarians “have never been more constrained.” “The first issue is obviously the amount that we are able to bring in. It's just a fraction of what's needed,” he explained, adding that the price of a kilo of wheat flour was over $25 during his visit last week. Skau described the operating environment for his team as “impossible.” He said, “Some 85 percent now of the territory, there are active military operations. Our teams get stuck in waiting for clearances and at checkpoints, often spending between 15 to 20 hours straight in the armored vehicles trying to escort our convoys.” “There's not enough fuel. There are not enough spare parts to our vehicles. Most of the windows in our armored vehicles have been damaged, and we don't have basic communication. Radio, antennas from our cars have been ripped off. And so, if you are more than 20 metres away from each other, we don't have proper communication. And that, it is really an issue when you are in this kind of environment, he added. The Deputy Executive Director also informed the reporters that WFP has been “actively engaging with Israeli authorities over the past few weeks.” He noted that there were some agreements in terms of improving the conditions, but the implementation of the agreements is not yet enough. Skau reiterated that WFP has enough food on the borders to deliver to the entire population for some two months, “but obviously we need that ceasefire and we need conditions within that ceasefire.”


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