Middle East: UN organization assume food supplies in Gaza

According to its own statements, the world nutrition program (WFP) has used up all of its food supplies in the Gaza Strip. The reason is that due to the closure of the border crossings, there are no more relief supplies in the coastal strips, as the UN organization announced.

She had delivered the last food on site. These in turn would use the supplies in the coming days, it was said in an explanation. The kitchens therefore provide around half of the population and cover around 25 percent of the daily food requirement.

At the beginning of March, Israel had closed all border crossings in the Gaza Strip for auxiliary deliveries to increase the pressure on Hamas to released the hostages kidnapped from Israel. In mid-March, Israel resumed massive attacks after a two-month ceasefire in the Gaza War.

“This is the longest block that the Gaza strip has ever experienced,” said the WFP. Food prices rose by up to 1400 percent compared to the time of the ceasefire, vital foods are scarce. This could lead to “serious nutritional problems” for toddlers and pregnant women, for example. The organization asked all parties to the conflict to meet their obligations in accordance with humanitarian international law.

The intentional starvation of the civilian population, for example to exert political pressure, is contrary to international law. However, the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently said that Israel was only obliged to “provide help” if the civilian population was not sufficiently cared for. Israel observes the location on site and there is no shortage of relief goods, said a spokesman. The Geneva conventions also did not oblige a war party to allow help, the deliveries should “probably support the enemy’s military or economic efforts,” it said. Which passage of the Geneva conventions this referred remained unclear.

Israel accuses the Hamas that she has used violence and sell it to the civilian population at high prices. Eyewitnesses also reported in the past that members of the Hamas had stolen aid deliveries, partly under the threat of gun violence. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said at the beginning of March that the humanitarian aid was now the main source of income for Hamas.

Meanwhile, the United Nations World Food Program points out that more than 116,000 tons of nutritional aid to the auxiliary body provides enough – enough to supply a million people for up to four months. They could be brought to Gaza immediately by the WFP and partners as soon as the borders were reopened.