The head of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), Cindy McCain, has warned.
That Gaza is teetering on the “brink of famine” as the region grapples with the fallout of the conflict between Israel and the militant group Hamas.
Speaking to CBS News, McCain stressed the dire need for increased humanitarian aid in Gaza. She warned that famine could lead to widespread disease and other catastrophic consequences in the strife-torn strip.
Asked about recent data from Unicef indicating that severe malnutrition among children in Gaza could surge by nearly 30 per cent, a situation exacerbated by the ongoing conflict, McCain replied, “We’re looking at possibly being on the brink of famine in this region.”
McCain called for more aid trucks to enter Gaza, pointing out that the challenge of providing children with adequate assistance predates the current hostilities. Since the recent ceasefire, the WFP has managed to feed approximately 110,000 people, but McCain insists much more needs to be done to address the escalating humanitarian crisis.
“It’s a massive, catastrophic event that is occurring, and it will cross regions as it happens. We have got to be able to get in there. And not only that, we have to make sure that we can safely have access to be able to feed the people that we need to feed,” she said.
McCain’s remarks came amid a four-day temporary truce between Israel and Hamas to facilitate a prisoner swap and delivery of aid. The Israeli military, late on Sunday, announced the release of 17 hostages from Hamas captivity in Gaza, including 14 Israelis and three foreign nationals. The first wave saw 24 hostages released on Friday, followed by another 17 on Saturday, with a total of 50 captives expected to be freed by Monday.
Meanwhile, the Times of Israel reported that 200 trucks bearing humanitarian aid have entered the Gaza Strip. For the first time since the onset of the war, some supplies are reaching the northern areas of the enclave.