In brief
The World Food Programme has announced it has run out of food supplies in Gaza, where Israel's blockade has persisted for seven weeks. With critical food lines expected to collapse soon, the situation for the 2.1 million residents has reached a breaking point, exacerbated by soaring food prices and severe shortages of medical supplies. The UN calls for immediate action to lift the blockade, while Israel insists there is no aid shortage despite international criticism.
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has declared that it has exhausted its food supplies in Gaza, where a blockade by Israel has obstructed humanitarian aid for the past seven weeks. On Friday, the WFP delivered its final food stocks to hot meal kitchens, warning that these vital resources will deplete within days. Israel instituted its blockade on March 2 and escalated military actions two weeks later following a failed two-month ceasefire, justifying its actions by demanding the release of remaining hostages held by Hamas. The UN asserts that Israel is mandated under international law to facilitate aid deliveries to the 2.1 million Palestinians living in Gaza; however, Israel contends it complies with these obligations, declaring there are no shortages.By the end of March, all 25 bakeries assisted by the WFP in Gaza were forced to shut down due to complete depletion of wheat flour and cooking fuel. Food parcels containing two weeks' rations were similarly exhausted. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlights a dire lack of medical supplies and equipment amid a surge in casualties from Israeli airstrikes, along with fuel shortages obstructing water services.The WFP emphasized that the ongoing blockade has intensified the crisis, leading to an unprecedented 1,400% increase in food prices compared to pre-blockade levels. This situation has raised severe nutrition concerns for vulnerable groups, including children, pregnant women, and the elderly. While hot meal kitchens have been a crucial support for the affected, they currently reach only half the population, meeting just 25% of daily food requirements."The situation inside the Gaza Strip has once again reached a breaking point," the WFP reported. "Without swift action to reopen borders for aid and trade, our critical assistance may end." They are urging all parties to prioritize civilian needs and ensure that aid flows into Gaza in accordance with international humanitarian law.Over 116,000 tonnes of food assistance, sufficient to sustain one million people for four months, is currently awaiting delivery at aid corridors, pending Israel's permission to reopen its borders. Earlier in the week, the Israeli foreign ministry dismissed condemnation from the UK, France, and Germany regarding the blockade, asserting that more than 25,000 trucks carrying nearly 450,000 tonnes of aid had entered Gaza during the ceasefire. They argued that Hamas has misappropriated aid to bolster its military capabilities.Hamas has denied allegations of diverting assistance. The UN maintains that they have preserved a robust oversight on the distribution of aid. Furthermore, Hamas has turned down an Israeli proposal for a renewed ceasefire that involved disarmament, with the group insisting on a complete withdrawal from Gaza and the release of all hostages in exchange for cessation of hostilities.Since the conflict intensified following a major attack on Israel on October 7, leading to approximately 1,200 Israeli fatalities and taking 251 hostages, over 51,000 individuals have been reported killed in Gaza, according to health officials affiliated with Hamas.
