FAO: Gaza Residents Experience Food Shortage

© UNICEF/Mohammad Ajjour via news.un.org

JAKARTA - The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said that the entire population of Gaza is currently experiencing food insecurity due to Israel's relentless attacks on Gaza.

"At this point, FAO considers the entire population in Gaza to be food insecure," said QU Dongyu, Director General of FAO, in a statement reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, November 14.

He also said before the current escalation, "nearly 60 percent of households in Gaza were food insecure or vulnerable to food insecurity."

Dongyu said FAO was “fully committed to addressing the urgent humanitarian needs of the population in the Gaza Strip,” and stressed that an “immediate ceasefire” was “a prerequisite for food security, and the right to food is a fundamental human right.”

As Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip enters its 39th day, 11,180 Palestinians have been killed, including 7,700 women and children, and around 28,000 others have suffered injuries, according to the latest data from the Palestinian Authority.

In addition, thousands of buildings including hospitals, mosques and churches have been damaged or destroyed as a result of Israeli air and ground attacks in the besieged enclave since last month.

The death toll on the Israeli side has currently reached 1,200, according to official data.