Food security in Gaza 'at risk of worsening,' UN warns

​​​​​​​By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN on Wednesday raised alarms about the worsening humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and warned the continued closure of all cargo crossings is severely disrupting aid deliveries.

"Our humanitarian colleagues warns that the recent closure of all crossing points for cargo is undoing critical progress made in delivering vital, life-saving assistance to people in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on 19 January," spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Dujarric reported that "food security in Gaza is also at risk of worsening."

"Humanitarian partners warn that if the disruption to aid continues, at least 80 community kitchens may be forced to suspend their activities and no longer work," he said.

Dujarric said education in Gaza is also facing significant challenges due to access restrictions, which have caused shortages of essential school supplies.

"Some students have been able to return to school after displaced families vacated school buildings that had been used as shelters," he noted.

Dujarric highlighted a critical funding gap in humanitarian aid efforts for Palestinian territories.

"More than two months into the year, we have secured less than 4% of the $4 billion required to meet the most basic humanitarian needs across the Occupied Palestinian Territory, especially in Gaza," he said, stressing that "the scale of needs is staggering, and so is the shortfall."

Israel on Sunday decided to halt aid shipments, hours after the first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner swap agreement between Hamas and Tel Aviv expired.

The first six-week phase of the agreement, which took effect in late January, officially ended at midnight Saturday.

Israel, however, has not agreed to move forward to the second phase of the deal to permanently end the war in Gaza which has killed more than 48,000 victims, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.