The United Nations recently released a grave warning that the humanitarian situation in Gaza is worsening. It is intolerable to hear them report that 14,000 babies are going to die in the next 48 hours if they don’t get access to life-saving food and nutritional supplements. Conditions have only deteriorated since Israel imposed a total blockade on humanitarian aid to the enclave, now over 15 weeks ago. Israeli authorities have recently allowed limited amounts of aid to pass through the Kerem Shalom crossing, located along the Israel-Egypt border. Humanitarian officials say that this response remains dangerously insufficient.
As UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. Fletcher urged for immediate delivery of supplies. In particular, he noted that the youngest and most vulnerable are facing extreme malnutrition. He said the effects of the blockade have been catastrophic and urged for immediate relief.
“We are pointing to the imperative of getting supplies in to save an estimated 14,000 babies suffering from severe acute malnutrition in Gaza, as the IPC partnership has warned about,” – UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
The crisis is growing quicker than ever. According to recent media reports, more than 500 people — many of them children — have died in Gaza just this week as the violence only presses on. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have issued evacuation warnings for the southern city of Khan Younis, urging tens of thousands to flee towards the coast amid fears of intensified military operations against Hamas.
Humanitarian Aid Blockade
Israel’s blockade of the territory has raised a chorus of international outcry. Humanitarian groups and government leaders alike are calling for an end to the trickle of aid allowed into Gaza. They decry it as woefully inadequate to address the pressing humanitarian needs of civilians. On Tuesday, we unloaded four truckloads of baby food. As Mr. Fletcher told NBC News, this effort is “totally and utterly inadequate.”
“The recent announcement that Israel will allow a basic quantity of food into Gaza, a basic quantity, is totally and utterly inadequate, so we must coordinate our response because this war has gone on for far too long,” – Mr. Fletcher
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric further expanded on the difficulties encountered in delivering aid, including logistical obstacles imposed by Israeli authorities. He stressed that supplies should be unloaded on the Palestinian side before anything else. Following that, they have to be restocked to ensure safe entry into Gaza.
“Israeli authorities are requiring us to offload supplies on the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom crossing and reload them separately once they secure our team’s access from inside the Gaza Strip,” – Stephane Dujarric
Even with these challenges, Mr. Fletcher is undeterred and committed to getting this assistance where it’s needed the most. He articulated the urgency of getting baby food into the hands of mothers who are currently unable to feed their children.
“But this is what we do — we keep going. It will be frustrating; we will be impeded; we will run huge risks, but I don’t see a better idea than getting that baby food into those mums who at the moment cannot feed their own kids,” – Mr. Fletcher
Rising Casualties Amidst Ongoing Conflict
As the humanitarian crisis worsens, Palestinian health ministry officials say at least 50 people have been killed by new Israeli airstrikes in the past two days. Since then, the Israeli government has publicly stated its intent to escalate military activity in Gaza. Their objectives are to achieve more territory and create enough pressure on Hamas to release Israeli hostages.
The IDF’s evacuation orders only add to an already chaotic and dangerous landscape. Thousands of residents are still trapped in active conflict areas, desperately seeking to flee. They continue to live in danger as they deal with a lack of food and medical supplies. This further fuels the pressure on the ongoing ceasefire negotiations, which have produced no major breakthroughs.
Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani pointed to the complexity of negotiations between Israel and Hamas. He emphasized that the opposing goals of both parties make it impossible to move toward a durable solution.
“Because there is a fundamental gap between the two parties, which is one party is looking for a partial deal that might or have the possibility to lead to a comprehensive deal and the other party is looking just for a one-off deal and to end the war and to get all the hostages out,” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani
International Reactions and Sanctions
Aside from these humanitarian issues, international diplomatic ramifications are still taking place. The UK government has placed travel bans on a series of Israeli settlers operating in the West Bank. Notable among them is Daniella Weiss, a prominent and vocal proponent of far-right settlements. This shift is particularly poignant as it comes on the heels of 77 years since the end of the British Mandate in Palestine.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken nonetheless expressed delight that aid began flowing back into Gaza. This first step illustrates a deepening of diplomatic commitment to continue backing humanitarian initiatives. Criticisms continue to mount about the creation of delays and additional restrictions for delivering aid.
“If, due to anti-Israel obsession and domestic political considerations, the British government is willing to harm the British economy — that is its own prerogative,” – Oren Marmorstein
