Cindy McCain, the executive director of the World Food Programme, has stated that a “full-blown famine” is present in the northern part of Gaza and is spreading south. This information is based on what WFP employees have witnessed in the area. While it is not an official declaration of famine, the severity of the situation cannot be ignored.
Israeli officials have been accused of using starvation as a weapon of war by restricting humanitarian aid shipments and creating long waits at checkpoints. The situation is dire, with humanitarian organizations struggling to provide assistance to those in need. The ongoing conflict, destruction, and suffering inflicted on Gaza by Israel have exacerbated the crisis.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has stated that it may take up to three years to retrieve the bodies of those killed in the conflict due to the extensive damage. The crisis has led to severe food shortages, with reports of people in north Gaza resorting to eating grass and animal feed. The Gaza Health Ministry has reported at least 32 deaths from malnutrition and dehydration, with 28 of them being children.
Months of international organizations tiptoeing around the use of the word ‘famine’ to describe the starvation crisis in Gaza have come to an end with Cindy McCain’s comments. While it is not an official declaration of famine, McCain’s statement highlights the severity of the situation faced by millions of Palestinians living in Gaza.