Gaza and Lebanon face the specter of death and famine… UN warnings and a deep humanitarian crisis

11th November 2024

3 minutes read

Gaza and Lebanon face the specter of death and famine... UN warnings and a deep humanitarian crisis

The Famine Review Committee, an expert panel supported by the United Nations, issued a warning on Friday that the worst-case scenarios it had feared are beginning to materialize in parts of northern Gaza, noting that famine may have already started or is about to happen.

The committee emphasized the need for urgent action “within days, not weeks” to avert a humanitarian disaster, according to the American newspaper The Washington Post.

Severe food shortages

According to UN standards, famine is declared when 20% of households suffer from extreme food shortages and face severe hunger, coupled with high rates of malnutrition and hunger-related mortality.

The committee confirmed that rates of malnutrition and deaths from hunger-related diseases are rapidly increasing in northern Gaza.

In response, Cogat, the Israeli military authority responsible for coordinating aid in Gaza, rejected these findings, claiming the information was “inaccurate and inconsistent with reality,” noting that residents had been warned to move south before the onset of intense military operations.

According to The Washington Post, the organization Oxfam confirmed that conditions in the south are “deteriorating rapidly,” describing the food blockade as a “crime against humanity,” according to Sally Abi Khalil, the organization’s Middle East director. Abi Khalil accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon of war in Gaza” and criticized the international community for failing to act to end this suffering.

At the same time, Philippa Greer, legal advisor for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), stated that she had seen groups of residents moving south to escape the destruction.

Israeli blockades

The American newspaper reported that despite efforts by the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations to deliver food to northern Gaza, these attempts face significant obstacles. A convoy of ten trucks carrying food and water was intercepted by Israeli authorities in Beit Hanoun, with some food items looted.

Military escalation

Meanwhile, military escalation continues in Lebanon, where the Lebanese Ministry of Health reported seven deaths and 46 injuries as a result of Israeli bombardments on the city of Tyre.

Israeli forces have intensified their airstrikes on Hezbollah positions in southern Lebanon, with airstrikes also hitting residential areas in Tyre and southern Beirut.

According to data from the Lebanese government, Israel has conducted approximately 3,250 airstrikes in Lebanon since the conflict began on October 7, averaging around 101 strikes per day, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths and the displacement of large numbers of residents.

Major challenges

In a related development, Qatar announced on Saturday the suspension of its mediation efforts for a ceasefire in Gaza, after informing concerned parties that its mediation would continue only if they showed “willingness and seriousness to end the conflict.”

The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied reports of the closure of Hamas offices in Doha, emphasizing that the office serves as a communication channel between parties and that expelling movement leaders could negatively impact efforts to release Israeli hostages held by Hamas.

The newspaper stressed that the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, ongoing military operations in Lebanon, and rising regional tensions present major challenges for the international community in seeking a ceasefire and relief for those affected.