WNAM MONITORING : The UN on Friday warned of the growing malnutrition problem in the Gaza Strip due to Israel’s nearly two-month blockade of humanitarian aid to the enclave.
“As a result, hunger is spreading in Gaza. Malnutrition is deepening in Gaza, and injured people and other patients remain untreated in Gaza, and as we’ve said before, people are dying,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
The World Food Program (WFP) announced Friday that it has “depleted all food stocks” for families in Gaza as border crossings have remained shut since March 2, a decision made by Israel.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric said Israel, “as the occupying power, has clear obligations under international law, which include ensuring food, medical supplies, public health services are available, and facilitating humanitarian relief when they’re not otherwise supplied.”
Also addressing the displacement of Palestinians in the besieged enclave, Dujarric said it remains a “major concern.”
He said the OCHA had completed an initial analysis of the displacement order issued on Thursday by Israel for areas of North Gaza.
“The order covers 7.5 square kilometers, which is roughly 2% of the Gaza Strip. Overall, about 70% of the Gaza Strip is now under displacement orders or in ‘no-go’ zones, where Israeli authorities require aid personnel to coordinate their movements,” he added.
Israel has killed over 51,400 Palestinians in the enclave since October 2023, most of them women and children.