“1.6 million in Gaza face acute hunger”, UNRWA chief says
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- UNRWA says acute food insecurity remains widespread across the Gaza Strip.
- Aid supplies for more than one million people are ready but blocked from entry.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), warned that hunger across the Gaza Strip remains at critical levels, despite the ceasefire that began in October.
Hunger crisis persists
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini said 1.6 million people in Gaza continue to face high levels of acute food insecurity. He pointed to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report, which shows that recent improvements remain extremely fragile.
“The latest assessment shows how vulnerable the gains achieved since the ceasefire are”, Lazzarini said.
Aid waiting to enter Gaza
Lazzarini stressed that ending the crisis requires large-scale entry of humanitarian supplies and unrestricted access for aid workers. He said UNRWA currently has food parcels ready for one point one million people, as well as flour sufficient for the entire population of the Gaza Strip, but the assistance is awaiting approval to enter.
“To end this catastrophe, supplies must be allowed in at scale, and humanitarian workers must be enabled to do their jobs”, he said.
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Humanitarian agencies warn that without sustained and predictable access, food insecurity in Gaza could rapidly worsen, undoing the limited progress seen since the ceasefire.
