World Food Program Warns of 'Dangerous' Decrease in Vital Food Supplies in Gaza

Following the deadly attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Israel and the subsequent 'complete siege' of the Gaza Strip by Israel, the World Food Program, a UN agency, warned on Thursday, October 12, about the dangerous reduction of vital food supplies in Gaza. According to Reuters, Brian Lander, the Deputy Emergency Coordinator of the World Food Program based in Rome, Italy, described the situation of water and food reserves in Gaza as 'dire.' This UN official stated, 'Given the restrictions on water and food and their rapid decline in Gaza, we are witnessing the formation of a dire situation.' In an interview with Reuters, Brian Lander pointed out the presence of World Food Program staff in Gaza to provide food for thousands of refugees residing in schools and other locations in the area, warning that the resources of the World Food Program will soon run out. Following the Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of over 1,300 people, Israel announced a complete siege of Gaza on Monday, October 9, preventing the entry of water, food, and fuel into the Gaza Strip and halting all border crossings to the area. Israel has stated that no humanitarian aid will be allowed into Gaza until all hostages are released. Concurrently with the statements of the Deputy Emergency Coordinator of the World Food Program, the International Committee of the Red Cross also warned about the imminent depletion of fuel for hospital generators in Gaza, announcing that the transfer of medical supplies and services by this international organization within Gaza has been halted due to Israeli attacks. According to Reuters, the Israeli army has blocked the border with the Gaza Strip and conducted extensive airstrikes against the area, forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to flee their homes. The Deputy Emergency Coordinator of the World Food Program predicted that the situation of people seeking refuge and trying to survive in such an environment will worsen over time. Following the recent attacks by armed Palestinian assailants on Israel, which are considered the deadliest attack on Jewish civilians since the Holocaust, Israel vowed to take revenge. Brian Lander urged Israel and Egypt to create safe corridors to facilitate the entry of World Food Program supplies into Gaza and to ensure the safety of UN staff operating in the area. This UN official criticized the attacks on medical facilities, schools, and some locations considered safe, urging the parties involved to adhere to their commitments under international humanitarian law. In part of his statements, the Deputy Emergency Coordinator of the World Food Program referred to the killing of eleven staff members of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees during the current conflict as a 'horrific tragedy' and expressed condolences to the families of these staff members. According to Reuters, this UN agency typically provides monthly food for about 350,000 Palestinians and simultaneously supports around one million people in cooperation with various humanitarian organizations. According to UN agencies, this year, as about sixty percent of Gaza's residents require humanitarian assistance, the number of impoverished families in the area has tripled compared to last year. The report indicates that while in 2022, about 10 percent of households in Gaza lived in dire or catastrophic conditions, this number has risen to about thirty percent this year.