The incident highlights the dire food shortages as aid struggles to reach desperate populations facing starvation.
**Chaos Erupts as Hungry Crowds Storm UN Warehouse in Gaza**
**Chaos Erupts as Hungry Crowds Storm UN Warehouse in Gaza**
As hundreds break into a food supply depot, the UN warns of a deteriorating humanitarian crisis.
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) has confirmed that "hordes of hungry people" broke into a food supply warehouse in central Gaza, leading to chaos and at least two fatalities along with numerous injuries. Video footage captured scenes of thousands clamoring for bags of flour and other food items at the Al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir Al-Balah amid the sound of gunfire, whose source remains unclear. The WFP emphasized that humanitarian needs in Gaza have rapidly escalated following nearly three months of an Israeli blockade, which was partially lifted last week.
The organization stated that essential food supplies were meant to be distributed to alleviate the dire situation but have now been compromised. It called for an urgent increase in food assistance, mentioning that without immediate action, the risk of widespread starvation looms. Previous warnings from the WFP highlighted the alarming conditions on the ground as well as the challenges posed by restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Currently, Israeli authorities reported the entry of 121 trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza, yet the UN's Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag criticized these efforts as insufficient, likening them to offering a “lifeboat after the ship has sunk.” A controversial private aid distribution group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has taken it upon itself to deliver aid, bypassing the UN amid allegations of aid diversion by Hamas, which the group denies.
Amid the chaos, many residents in tent encampments along Gaza’s coast have been frequenting GHF distribution points. The UN Human Rights Office reported that on Tuesday, 47 individuals were injured at one of the GHF sites in Rafah just as it commenced operations. Observers noted that desperate crowds were looting aid from UN trucks, pointing to systemic failures in securing relief supplies.
Jonathan Whittall, leader of the UN humanitarian office, stated that there is no evidence of aid being intercepted by Hamas, suggesting that criminal gangs are the true culprits driving the looting. He advocated for a surge of aid akin to previous ceasefires to mitigate the desperation that leads to such riots. Meanwhile, Israel has accused the UN of an unethical distribution process and has labeled the new aid channels as a planned limitation on food supplies.
In other updates related to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the EU condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza as excessive, while reports surfaced of casualties and further violence connected to the aid efforts.
The organization stated that essential food supplies were meant to be distributed to alleviate the dire situation but have now been compromised. It called for an urgent increase in food assistance, mentioning that without immediate action, the risk of widespread starvation looms. Previous warnings from the WFP highlighted the alarming conditions on the ground as well as the challenges posed by restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Currently, Israeli authorities reported the entry of 121 trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza, yet the UN's Middle East envoy Sigrid Kaag criticized these efforts as insufficient, likening them to offering a “lifeboat after the ship has sunk.” A controversial private aid distribution group, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), has taken it upon itself to deliver aid, bypassing the UN amid allegations of aid diversion by Hamas, which the group denies.
Amid the chaos, many residents in tent encampments along Gaza’s coast have been frequenting GHF distribution points. The UN Human Rights Office reported that on Tuesday, 47 individuals were injured at one of the GHF sites in Rafah just as it commenced operations. Observers noted that desperate crowds were looting aid from UN trucks, pointing to systemic failures in securing relief supplies.
Jonathan Whittall, leader of the UN humanitarian office, stated that there is no evidence of aid being intercepted by Hamas, suggesting that criminal gangs are the true culprits driving the looting. He advocated for a surge of aid akin to previous ceasefires to mitigate the desperation that leads to such riots. Meanwhile, Israel has accused the UN of an unethical distribution process and has labeled the new aid channels as a planned limitation on food supplies.
In other updates related to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the EU condemned Israeli military actions in Gaza as excessive, while reports surfaced of casualties and further violence connected to the aid efforts.
