Yousseff, a 6-week-old baby, died last week in Gaza City from starvation. Her family told Reuters they were unable to find formula to feed her, with a single container selling for up to $100. As Al Jazeera's Hani Mahmoud reported, the meager supplies that do reach Gaza are being resold in local markets for two to three times the actual price.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Yousseff is one of at least 93 people, mostly children, who have died from malnutrition since July 20. That number is expected to rise, as more than 2 million Gazans face a high risk of starvation, according to humanitarian organizations.
The United Nations World Food Program declared last week that the hunger crisis in Gaza has reached new and shocking levels, with a third of the population not eating for days.
Although the food crisis has been ongoing throughout the 21-month war, what has worsened the situation is the tightening of the blockade by Israel. In March, Israel stopped all aid from entering Gaza, claiming that Hamas was stealing UN supplies. However, Israeli officials confirmed last weekend that there is no evidence of systematic theft by Hamas.
Meanwhile, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees said it has enough food supplies stockpiled in warehouses for more than three months, but Israel has only allowed symbolic aid to enter the region. According to the UN, at least 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while trying to access humanitarian aid.
Faced with mounting international pressure, Israel on Sunday allowed the UN and other organizations to distribute over 120 truckloads of food, aid that Tom Fletcher, a UN humanitarian official, called "a drop in the ocean" compared to the real needs of residents.
Community kitchens across Gaza have been destroyed. Large-scale food preparation is nearly impossible, due to skyrocketing cooking gas prices, which in some cases have increased by 2,400%, and shortages of basic ingredients like flour, with a 25kg bag selling for $558, according to Time magazine.
Organizations providing aid in Gaza
Faced with the dire situation, Palestinians in the diaspora are supporting non-profit organizations and relief initiatives that provide food, water, medicine, and financial assistance. Some of them are:
Reviving Gaza – Distributes filtered water, hot meals, and basic food packages to victims of the war. It also provides financial assistance to families in Gaza.
Amal for Palestine – Provides economic aid, supplies, water and food, especially to residents in northern Gaza.
Sameer Project – Has stopped distributing food due to shortages, but continues to provide water, medicine, and tents to people in need.
Gaza Soup Kitchen – Provides food to displaced families using ingredients sourced from remaining farms in northern Gaza.
Dignity for Palestine – Distributes food packages, clean water, and medicine to displaced residents.
Oxfam – Works with local partners to provide broad humanitarian assistance and is raising funds to expand the intervention, where permitted.
If you would like to help, you can donate to the organizations above.
