UN OCHA Says 10 Percent of Gaza Residents on the Brink of Starvation

Residents of Gaza queuing for food. (Source: WHO)

JAKARTA - The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) on Monday warned of an unprecedented deterioration of living conditions and a major disaster throughout the Gaza Strip, Palestine, warning that the specter of famine threatens hundreds of thousands of people amid the ongoing comprehensive blockade and severe shortages of basic supplies.

OCHA said humanitarian indicators had reached alarming levels, with 67 percent of Gaza Strip residents facing acute food insecurity and struggling daily to get even basic food.

According to a UN report released on Monday, 10 percent of Gaza's population is on the verge of famine - the stage before an official famine declaration (IPC Phase 5 under the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification), reported by WAFA (4/8).

The report links this sharp setback to the disruption of humanitarian aid flows, the collapse of local supply chains, and a lack of funding that has impacted international aid operations.

UN OCHA concluded by warning that the coming days will be crucial to prevent large-scale humanitarian disasters, calling for the reopening of all border crossings and the establishment of safe and sustainable humanitarian corridors to ensure that the delivery of food and medical supplies is not disrupted before it is too late.