Gaza crisis: 77% of Palestinians without basic relief supplies, NGO says
The NGO raised concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, citing a lack of accessibility to basic relief items in the war-torn territory.
2 min read
Palestinians, carrying empty pots, line up to receive meals, distributed by charity organizations, as people struggle with hunger due to embargo imposed by Israeli forces in Khan Yunis, Gaza on 2 January, 2025. [Getty]
The majority of Palestinians in Gaza, 77 percent, lack essential relief items, international NGO ActionAid revealed on Wednesday, amidst ongoing calls for increased humanitarian aid and access.
Reham Al-Jaafari, Director of Support and Advocacy at ActionAid, told Voice of Palestine on Wednesday that the past three months have been the harshest for Palestinians due to Israel limiting entry of relief supplies, widespread famine, disease outbreaks, and the collapse of the health sector.
Al-Jaafari's warning follows ActionAid’s ongoing appeals to safeguard Gaza’s critical sectors, now teetering on the brink of collapse.
The organisation has also accused Israeli authorities of enforcing restrictions that have severely limited aid deliveries and caused food prices to skyrocket.
Amjad Al-Shawa, Director of the Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO) and a partner of ActionAid Palestine, warned last month that the situation has left families starving and desperate amid relentless Israeli bombardment.
Al-Shawa highlighted the dire shortage of flour, leading to the shutdown of most bread factories and community kitchens.
"Children, women, elders, and people with disabilities depend on this aid, yet each Palestinian now receives less than one loaf of bread daily. It’s a real catastrophe," he said.
According to the NGO, bread is a lifeline for Gaza’s residents, yet only four bakeries operated by the World Food Programme remain functional due to flour and fuel shortages as of December.
°®Âþµº reported the harsh winter compounding the suffering of displaced Palestinians, many of whom lack adequate shelter, face flooding in their tents, or struggle with illness and malnutrition.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has described the situation as "catastrophic," citing severe shortages of food, medicine, fuel, and shelter, particularly in northern Gaza.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of heightened vulnerability to respiratory illnesses and malnutrition due to the cold weather.
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) added that humanitarian aid remains grossly insufficient and called for an urgent ceasefire to prevent famine.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces continue their assault and siege on north Gaza towns inclduing Beit Hanoun, Jabalia, and Beit Lahiya, areas now inaccessible to emergency services.
Gaza’s health ministry reported that 28 more Palestinians were killed in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll since the start of the war to 45,581, with over 108,000 injured.
Ìý
More In News
