WHO chief says 'large proportion' of Gaza's people 'starving'

Geneva: The World Health Organization’s chief warned Wednesday of widespread starvation in Gaza, saying food deliveries into the war-ravaged Palestinian territory were “far below what is needed for the survival of the population”.

“A large proportion of the population of Gaza is starving. I don’t know what you would call it other than mass starvation — and it’s man-made,” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters.

His statement added his voice to those of 111 aid organisations and rights groups, including MSF and Oxfam, who warned earlier Wednesday that “mass starvation” was spreading in Gaza.

“Our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away,” they said in a joint statement.

Israel is facing mounting international pressure over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, where more than two million people are facing severe shortages of food and other essentials after 21 months of conflict.

“The 2.1 million people trapped in the war zone that is Gaza are facing yet another killer on top of bombs and bullets: starvation,” Tedros said.

“We are now witnessing a deadly surge in malnutrition-related deaths,” he added.

– Children starving to death –

Tedros highlighted that “rates of global acute malnutrition exceed 10 percent, and over 20 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women that have been screened are malnourished, often severely”.

The UN health agency has documented 21 deaths in Gaza related to malnutrition of children under the age of five since the beginning of the year, but acknowledges that that the true number is likely higher.

The head of Gaza’s largest hospital said Tuesday that 21 children had died due to malnutrition and starvation in the Palestinian territory over the previous three days alone.

Tedros warned that “the hunger crisis is being accelerated by the collapse of aid pipelines and restrictions on access”.

The starvation is “man-made” and clearly caused by Israel’s blockade on the territory, he said.

The WHO chief highlighted how starving people were risking their lives to access aid.

The UN rights office said Tuesday that Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians trying to get food aid in Gaza since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operations in late May.

“Not only 1,026 were killed while trying to feed themselves or find food for their family. Thousands were also wounded,” Tedros said.

“We demand that there is full access, and we demand that there is a ceasefire,” he said.

“We demand that there is a political solution to this problem, a lasting solution.”