“Two million people are starving” in the Gaza Strip, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Gebrees warned Monday, adding 160,000 tonnes of food is “blocked at the border for just a few minutes.”
“The risk of hunger in Gaza is increasing with intentional withholding of humanitarian assistance, including food, during the ongoing lockdown,” he added.
With the annual World Health Assembly opening, Tedros said hostilities, increased evacuation orders, reduced humanitarian space and increased aid lockdown in Gaza “help the influx of victims into the health system already on his lap.”
“While hospital attacks deny people’s care and stop them from seeking it, people are dying from preventable diseases.
Meanwhile, UN Humanitarian Agency Ocha said on Monday that it is in discussions with Israeli authorities about reopening aid to Gaza after Israel announced it would allow limited amounts of food to besieged territory.
“We have been approached by Israeli authorities to resume providing limited aid. We are debating with them how this will be done given the conditions on the ground,” Ocha said in a statement.