Ordinary and generally mild illnesses have turned deadly in the Gaza Strip due to a famine that has been officially declared by the United Nations. This dire situation has emerged as the enclave endures nearly two years of brutal warfare waged by occupying forces, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday.
According to WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the malnutrition crisis means that “even common diseases, typically mild such as diarrhea, are becoming fatal, particularly for children.” He called for an “urgent” lifting of the blockade that restricts the entry of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid into the Palestinian enclave.
Palestinian authorities report that only about 2,000 trucks of humanitarian aid have entered Gaza in the past 25 days, which accounts for less than 15% of the supplies needed.
The UN officially declared a famine in Gaza on Friday, marking the first instance of such a crisis in the Middle East, after experts warned that 500,000 individuals are in a “catastrophic” state.
Tom Fletcher, the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs, stated that the famine in Gaza “could have been avoided” without the “systematic obstruction” imposed by the occupying forces. “This famine will and must haunt us all,” he added.
