600 Days of War, 2 Million at Risk
RNS: The UN has sounded the alarm over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, labeling it the “hungriest place on Earth,” as Israeli restrictions continue to choke aid access.
Speaking in Geneva, Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA), said Gaza is now the only territory worldwide where the entire population faces famine risk. Despite having tens of thousands of aid pallets ready and cleared, Laerke said delivery efforts are being “strangled” by Israeli-imposed operational barriers.
Since the Kerem Shalom crossing reopened ten days ago, fewer than 600 of 900 approved trucks have been unloaded, with even fewer distributed, due to insecure, congested routes and bureaucratic delays. Desperate civilians have swarmed aid trucks, and chaos recently erupted at a UN warehouse in Deir Al-Balah, where two people were reportedly killed.
A new U.S.- and Israeli-backed private aid scheme, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, has also drawn criticism. OCHA officials slammed it as ineffective and dangerous, warning it replaces impartial aid with “engineered scarcity” and limits access to those physically able to reach guarded distribution hubs.
Over 80% of Gaza is currently under militarized zones or evacuation orders, with nearly 635,000 more displaced since March. UN officials stress that humanitarian delivery is being obstructed not by logistics but by political will.
Marking 600 days of conflict since October 7, 2023, the UN’s Palestinian Rights Committee condemned the deepening crisis, calling on all nations to demand an end to hostilities and ensure unimpeded aid access for Gaza’s 2 million at-risk residents.
