BERLIN, (PIC)
The Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, warned that “Gaza faces a real risk of famine.”
This came a day after the US announced it had alerted the Israeli authorities to the need to improve the delivery of aid to the Strip.
Lazzarini said from Berlin on Wednesday evening, “There is a real risk today that we enter a situation where famine or acute malnutrition is unfortunately again a likelihood, pointing to the upcoming winter and the weakened immune systems of Gaza’s population.”
Vast areas of Gaza have been destroyed by Israel’s war of genocide it has been waging on the Strip since October 7, 2023.
The Israeli occupation army has been intensifying its aggression on the northern part of the besieged Strip, especially Jabalia, where the UN has warned that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians are trapped.
Lazzarini painted a dire picture of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying “The Strip has become a kind of wasteland, which I would say is almost unlivable.”
Regarding aid delivery to Gaza, Lazzarini said that “over the past two to three weeks, there was no convoy entering into the north except yesterday (Tuesday).”
“We have a huge drop of convoys in the south with only an average of 50 to 60 for two million people, while we estimate the number needed is much, much higher,” he said.
Lazzarini pointed out that the convoys which had managed to enter had been subject to looting “because of the total breakdown of law and order.” However, he stressed that with appropriate action, “a hunger crisis in Gaza can be avoided if convoys and food are allowed to enter.”
“We have shown that we can have a polio campaign, so why can we not bring food?” he asked.
