WHO calls on Israel to open more crossings into Gaza
(Baonghean.vn) - Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that land aid through border gates is the best way to prevent the risk of famine in Gaza.
While appreciating the efforts to deliver aid by air and sea, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that only land aid could allow large-scale deliveries to prevent famine in Gaza.
“The future of an entire generation is at serious risk. We once again call on Israel to open more crossings and speed up the entry and delivery of water, food, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid into Gaza,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters on March 22. Many countries, including the US and Jordan, have recently airdropped aid along the Gaza coast. However, this method has proven costly and ineffective.
Since the conflict began, Israel has banned the transport of food, water, medicine and other necessities to Gaza, except for a small amount of aid through the Rafah and Karem Abu Salem crossings. Aid agencies and health officials in Gaza have warned that the small amount of aid is barely enough to meet the needs of nearly 2.3 million people in the conflict-ridden territory, especially in the northern region, which is facing the risk of famine.
Meanwhile, the United Nations' Integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) fears that famine will hit northern Gaza in May and could spread across the region by July. 70% of people in northern Gaza are in the most severe food shortages, well above the 20% threshold that is considered famine. In total, 1.1 million Palestinians in Gaza, or about half the territory's population, face catastrophic food shortages.
Gaza health officials say the conflict between Israel and Hamas has left at least 31,988 people dead and 74,188 injured. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), as of March 16, 1.7 million people, or more than 75% of the population, have been displaced.
Gaza's health care system has essentially collapsed due to severe shortages of fuel and medical supplies. Images from the United Nations Satellite Center (UNOSAT) also show that 35% of buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged by the conflict.
