clear

Creating new perspectives since 2009

NGO: 73% of Gaza families suffer food insecurity

June 24, 2020 at 10:21 am

UNRWA distributes food aid to families in Gaza, 2 April 2020 [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

At least 73 per cent of Gaza families suffer food insecurity due to the 13-year Israeli siege imposed on the Strip, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights revealed yesterday.

In a statement, the rights group said that this number has recently increased from 70 per cent due to the coronavirus measures put in place, in addition to the delay in paying the salaries of civil servants and the weak flow of cash and humanitarian aid entering the coastal enclave.

The rights group said that commercial activities witnessed a sharp decrease in light of the ongoing dire situation, noting that thousands of families are currently living in abject poverty

READ: ‘1 million Palestinians face food shortages in Gaza’

According to the rights group, this has affected the quality and quantity of food sought by families in Gaza.

Concluding its statement, Al Mezan warned that the current situation would have “disastrous consequences on the humanitarian situation” in the Gaza Strip, calling on the international community to act “quickly”, end the Israeli siege and offer assistance to Gaza.