UN Warns Gaza on Imminent Food Crisis

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced Friday that it had distributed its last remaining food stocks to kitchens in the Gaza Strip, warning that supplies would run out entirely within days. The agency said it had been unable to replenish aid during a seven-week Israeli blockade, exacerbating what humanitarian officials describe as one of the worst crises in Gaza since the war began.

"Catastrophic" Conditions as Blockade Continues

Food shortages have plagued Gaza since Israel launched its military campaign against Hamas following the group’s October 7, 2023, attacks, which killed nearly 1,200 people in Israel and saw 250 others taken hostage. Aid deliveries have been repeatedly obstructed, with Israel tightening restrictions after ceasefire negotiations stalled earlier this year.

On March 18, Israel resumed bombardment of the enclave and later expanded its ground offensive. According to Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, at least 78 Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total reported death toll to 51,439 since the war began.

Beyond the violence, aid agencies warn that starvation has become a dire threat for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents. The WFP called the current blockade "the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced," crippling markets and food systems. Prices for basic goods have surged by 1,400% since the ceasefire collapsed.

International Calls for Action

France, Germany, and the United Kingdom issued a joint statement Wednesday urging Israel to lift the blockade, citing an "acute risk of starvation, epidemic disease, and death." The foreign ministers condemned Israel’s restrictions as "intolerable."

Twelve major aid agencies echoed those concerns last week, stating that famine is "not just a risk but likely rapidly unfolding in almost all parts" of Gaza. The WFP said more than 116,000 metric tons of food—enough to feed one million people for four months—are stranded at Gaza’s borders, blocked from entry.

Israel has denied allegations of a food crisis, asserting that 25,000 aid trucks entered Gaza during a 42-day ceasefire that ended in March. Officials accuse Hamas of exploiting aid to control the population and say restrictions will persist until hostages are released.

Meanwhile, the WFP reported that 25 bakeries it supports have halted operations due to shortages of flour and cooking oil. Hamas claimed Friday that 52 people, including 50 children, have died from hunger and malnutrition since the war began, with hundreds of thousands of children facing severe food insecurity daily.

As the deadlock continues, the WFP warned that Gaza has reached a "breaking point," with previous humanitarian gains now undone. "People are running out of ways to cope," the agency said.