UN Warns of Food Crisis in Northern Gaza as Aid Deliveries Halt

 

The United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) has sounded the alarm, warning that no food has reached northern Gaza in Palestine since the beginning of October, leaving 1 million people at risk of hunger. In a statement to CNN on Friday, October 11, the WFP confirmed that food deliveries into the region have completely stopped.

In previous months, aid deliveries to northern Gaza had been dwindling. In August, around 700 aid trucks entered the area, but that number dropped to just 400 trucks in September after commercial operations were halted at the Allenby Crossing between the occupied West Bank and Jordan. Since October, no food trucks have been able to access the region, further exacerbating the crisis.

The WFP also reported on Wednesday that the amount of aid entering Gaza had fallen to its lowest levels in months, forcing the organization to suspend its food parcel distribution for October. The WFP emphasized the severity of the situation, warning, "Hunger remains rampant, and the threat of famine persists. If the flow of assistance does not resume, one million vulnerable people will be deprived of this lifeline."

The humanitarian crisis is also being felt in central Gaza, where two major bakeries, Al-Banna Bakery and Zadna Bakery, have been shut down for three days due to shortages of flour and fuel. These bakeries, supported by the WFP, have been unable to continue operations, leaving workers and residents desperate for food. Ahmad Abed, an employee at Al-Banna Bakery, described the dire situation, saying, "The day I work, I can feed my family. The day I don’t, we don’t eat."

Haitham Badri, a father from Deir al-Balah, central Gaza, also expressed his struggle to find flour to feed his children. Bread, a staple food for Palestinians, has become increasingly scarce, and its availability is critical as the conflict continues.

Earlier this week, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that September saw the lowest volume of commercial and humanitarian supplies entering Gaza since at least March 2024. The ongoing conflict has intensified, with Israel launching a new ground operation in northern Gaza on October 6, following concerns over Hamas' rebuilding efforts in the area.