UN: Nearly 133,000 Palestinians Facing Catastrophic Food Insecurity

11/13/2024 2:09:02 AM

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) NEW YORK, Nov 13 (KUNA) -- Nearly 133,000 Palestinians in Northern Gaza are facing catastrophic food insecurity, reported the United Nations indicating, "agricultural food systems have collapsed in the Gaza Strip and "local food production has been decimated."
This was at a Security Council session held Tuesday night on protecting civilians during armed conflicts.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director of Emergencies and Resilience Rein Paulsen told the Council that "70 percent of the crop land, which has contributed up to one third of daily consumption, has been damaged or destroyed since the escalation in hostilities started last year."
"Animal production has been devastated, with almost 95 percent of cattle and more than half of sheep and goat herds now dead."
These animal losses, he said, "have both removed access to critical and nutritious sources of protein and milk, as well as devastated people's livelihoods."
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, Ilze Brands Kehris, told the Security Council that "the severe restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry and distribution of goods and services necessary for the survival of the civilian population brought the risk of famine and starvation to Gaza."
Brands Kehris said, "Israel's conduct of hostilities has destroyed Gaza's civilian infrastructure, including places that have protected status under international law, hospitals, schools and vital services, including electricity, water and sewage," contributing "directly to the famine risk being discussed today."
The Assistant Secretary-General said, "there is a strong likelihood that famine is imminent. This horrific possibility cannot be separated from the unrelenting attacks on the human rights of civilians there."
"Over the past five weeks, the Israeli military has conducted strikes that have led to massive civilian fatalities in northern Gaza, particularly impacting women, children, older people, the sick, and people with disabilities, many of whom are reportedly trapped by Israeli military restrictions and attacks on escape routes."
She said, "We again recall that the use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law."
Brands Kehris stressed that "the manner in which the Israeli military is conducting operations in northern Gaza suggests not only that Israel's actions are seeking to empty northern Gaza of Palestinians by displacing survivors to the south, but points to further grave risks of atrocities of the most serious nature." (end)
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