The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that crowds of civilians in Gaza have rushed aid trucks, creating chaotic scenes as hunger and desperation escalate. On Saturday, the WFP delivered 77 trucks loaded with flour into Gaza, but “all trucks were stopped along the way, with food taken mainly by hungry people trying to feed their families,” according to the organization.
Due to the high risk of convoys not reaching their warehouse, WFP made the difficult decision to allow people to take aid in the event of crowds. WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa explained that workers instructed people to take only one bag of flour each, but were unable to control who took what. “After nearly 80 days of a total blockade, starving people will not let a food truck pass,” the WFP added.
The crowds were comprised of civilians who had received word that food was coming, described by Ms. Etefa as “the desperate ones who cannot wait to get to distribution points”. The WFP chose aid delivery routes closer to populations and safer areas, away from gangs. However, with Israel easing its 11-week aid blockade on May 19, the UN says the amount sent in the last week amounts to just over 10% of people’s needs.
A UN-backed assessment warns that Gaza’s entire population is at “critical risk” of famine, with two million people in “desperate need” of food. Philippe Lazzarini, UN Palestinian refugee agency chief, criticized the current aid effort, saying, “The aid that’s being sent now makes a mockery to the mass tragedy unfolding under our watch”.
Challenges in Aid Distribution
The Israeli military agency Cogat accused the UN of not distributing aid already inside Gaza, claiming hundreds of trucks are waiting. Jonathan Whittall, the UN humanitarian office’s regional head, highlighted challenges in distributing aid due to escalating insecurity, “inappropriate routes”, “long delays” in receiving approvals to move, and “desperate crowds” along the way.
Meanwhile, a new US and Israel-backed organization, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, reported distributing two million meals this week, although the BBC has not been able to independently verify this. The UN has refused to work with the operation, citing contradictions to humanitarian principles.
Continued Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis
As the situation unfolds, Israeli air strikes continue, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) striking “dozens of terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip” over the past day. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, 60 people were killed in Israeli military operations over the past 24 hours. Christos Georgalas, a Greek surgeon who worked at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, described the dire conditions, saying, “Children were the main victims in terms of trauma and malnutrition”. Malnutrition is slowing down the healing process and increasing the risk of infections, he explained.