“We’re dying of hunger” – Residents of northern Gaza waiting aid that doesn’t arrive
Gaza (Quds News Network) – As their hunger and despair grow day by day, Palestinians in northern Gaza gather, anticipating the arrival of aid trucks that United Nations agencies say are increasingly difficult to deliver amid the Israeli siege imposed on the region.
Abu Mustafa, a Palestinian man amidst a crowd on the Gaza coast, stated, “I am here to get flour or any assistance to feed my children before the month of Ramadan.”
In a video posted by the Associated Press, he continued, “We are not afraid of war or anything else. We just need food and water.”
Another man, named Naeem Abu Saeedou, stood beside his young son, waiting for aid to arrive, saying, “I cannot feed my children. There is no rice, no food, and no flour. What have we done to deserve this?”
Abu Mohammad stated, “I am here, and millions of us are waiting for the delivery of flour. There is no lunch in Gaza. We urge the free world to find a solution for us. We are dying of hunger.”
Several United Nations agencies and relief groups say that the Israeli army’s blocking of aid delivery, along with the collapse of the public system in the region, has made it increasingly challenging to send aid convoys to most parts of Gaza, especially to the northern region.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees, stated on Monday that UNRWA has been unable to deliver any aid to northern Gaza for over a month.
He added that famine cannot be avoided unless more aid trucks arrive. The agency reported a “50 percent decrease” in humanitarian aid entering Gaza during February compared to January.
The entry of aid into Gaza is subject to Israel’s approval, and transporting it to the northern part of the territory has become nearly impossible as a result of the Israeli siege. According to the United Nations, between 300,000 and 700,000 people in this area are facing famine.
Palestinians told Agence France-Presse that they have resorted to eating tree leaves, animal feed, and horse meat after slaughtering horses. Some of the few trucks entering the territory are reportedly looted by hungry residents.
Abdullah Al-Aqr, who moved from Beit Lahia to the western part of Gaza City, stated, “We are eating hunger. Hunger is killing children and the elderly, and no one is looking at us.”
He added, “On Sunday, they fired on hungry people seeking flour when aid arrived for the first time in Tel Al-Hawa,” southwest of Gaza City.
International Amnesty and Human Rights Watch accused Israel of imposing additional restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, despite an order issued by the United Nations Supreme Court.
The organizations stated, “The number of aid trucks entering Gaza has effectively decreased by about a third since the ruling” in the case brought by South Africa, accusing Israel of violating the UN Genocide Convention.
The International Court of Justice ruled on January 26 that Israel must do everything in its power to prevent genocide and allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza.
