Northern Gaza still at risk of famine despite aid efforts, warns UN official

In a press briefing at the United Nations, Carl Skau of the World Food Program (WFP) emphasized that northern Gaza is still on the brink of famine, highlighting the urgent need for a significant increase in aid volume and diversity.

Skau stressed that while there has been progress in getting aid convoys into the north in the past three weeks, the current level of assistance is insufficient to meet the growing humanitarian needs. He called for a "paradigm shift" in aid distribution to avert famine, emphasizing the necessity of nutritional supplements and ready-to-eat meals.

According to Skau, the WFP has observed a slight improvement in aid delivery to northern Gaza, with seven to 12 food trucks crossing into the territory every two to three days. However, he emphasized that this effort is "a drop in the ocean" compared to the scale of the crisis, urging for a significant increase to at least 30 trucks per day.

Skau also highlighted the importance of utilizing the Ashdod port for the delivery of various commodities, not just wheat, to improve aid distribution efficiency.

Despite the challenges, Skau noted a positive development with the resumption of operations for 16 bakeries, including four in northern Gaza, which are now providing 60,000 bags of bread daily to residents. However, he emphasized that before the conflict, WFP worked with 23 Gaza bakeries, serving 200,000 people daily with fresh bread, indicating the scale of the setback caused by fuel shortages and war damage.

Skau concluded on a hopeful note, describing scenes of joy as residents lined up at bakeries to receive bread after months of deprivation. However, he underscored the ongoing need for sustained efforts to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

As aid efforts continue in Gaza, the World Food Program warns that northern Gaza remains at risk of famine, emphasizing the need for increased aid volume and diversity to avert a humanitarian catastrophe. Despite some progress in aid delivery, significant challenges persist, underscoring the urgency of sustained international support to address the crisis. (ILKHA)