The Gaza Strip is going through one of the worst humanitarian crises in its history after the start of the Israeli war. A conflict that, according to the Gaza authorities, has already left more than 31,900 Palestinians dead since the attacks began on October 7, after an attack carried out by Hamas. But between bombs and shots another, quieter offensive is taking place; an offensive that uses hunger as a method to intimidate a population that is finding it increasingly difficult to survive. This is what the United Nations Organization believes, which recently launched a serious accusation against Israel on this issue.

The UN did not hesitate to affirm that the country led by Benjamin Netanyahu is depriving a population of foodwhich constitutes a serious war crime -although this does not imply a legal opinion, which must be resolved by the courts-. This is how Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner, expressed it this Tuesday: “The situation of hunger, starvation and famine It is a consequence of the enormous restrictions imposed by Israel to the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid and commercial goods, the displacement of the majority of the population, as well as the destruction of vital civilian infrastructure.”

Right now, at least 70% of Gazans still in northern Gaza, some 210,000, are already suffering from famine. A situation that leads to deaths from starvation increasing there day by day, particularly among the most vulnerable, who are children and the sick. The spokesperson for OCHA (the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), Jens Laerke, clearly exemplified this health crisis: “All survival mechanisms have been exhausted and, be careful, these mechanisms are people eating bird seeds, animal fodder, grass and weeds. “We are beyond that, there is literally nothing left.”

The famine situation suffered by thousands of Gazans could last until at least May

To this figure, the UN has added that more than 1.1 million Gazans are at imminent risk of experiencing this situation. This is the highest number of people at risk of falling into a “catastrophic food situation” recorded by the IPC system since its creation. This is the information provided by an international consortium of experts in food and nutrition, in charge of establishing the Integrated Classification of Food Safety Phases. This is not the only worrying data, since it seems that the situation is far from being resolved. In response to the announcement made by the same organization, The famine is expected to last until at least May.

And what is Israel doing? Just when these catastrophic data were released, Netanyahu denied entry into Gaza for the head of the United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA). UNRWA is currently the largest organization – not the only one – capable of providing humanitarian aid in the enclave. Perhaps that is why it has been target of a constant smear campaign by the Israeli Government. But attempts to deliver basic food resources to Gazans do not stop. The last organizations to try it have been lto the Spanish NGO Open Arms and the World Central Kitchen (WCK).

UN asks Israel’s allies for help

This Friday, the boat coordinated by Open Arms and WCK managed to unload more than 200 tons of food and water, which have been distributed in the north of the Palestinian enclave, the area most affected by this food crisis. This is the first delivery that has been made by sea in five months of war, after a maritime humanitarian corridor was opened after twenty years of naval blockade of that area. But it will not be the only one, as the Spanish chef and founder of World Central Kitchen, José Andrés, wanted to make clear: ““Our organization aims to reach 37 million meals in Gaza”.

But international cooperation is not enough to prevent the Gazan population from dying of hunger. It is necessary that Israel does not drown in misery those who are still trapped among ruins, rubble and attacks. That is, it does not block the possibilities of introducing food into the affected areas. The UN is aware of this, and has not stopped asking Israel’s allied territories to use their influence to convince the government to facilitate the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid in sufficient quantities and on a continuous basis, the only way to reverse at least part of a tragedy that is getting worse every day.