The World Food Program (WFP) announced on Friday that its food supplies in Gaza have completely run out, cutting off a vital source of nutrition for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians amid Israel’s ongoing blockade.
WFP emergency coordinator Yasmin Maydhane said on Saturday that the humanitarian community had arrived “a little bit too late” to effectively respond to the crisis. “Everything that a person needs to have a dignified life and dignified assistance is being severely impacted,” she added.
Read:Three Suspected Gang Members Arrested for Firearms and Ammunition in KwaZulu-Natal
According to the WFP, its last food deliveries have been distributed to charity kitchens across Gaza, which are expected to exhaust their supplies within days. The United Nations estimates that around 80% of Gaza’s more than two million residents currently rely on these charity kitchens for food, as nearly all other food sources have collapsed under the blockade.
Israel cut off food, fuel, medicine, and other supplies to Gaza on March 2. Two weeks later, it resumed its military operations, ending a temporary ceasefire with Hamas. Israel has stated that the measures are intended to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages.
Human rights organizations have condemned the blockade, labeling it a “starvation tactic” and a potential war crime.