Gaza stands on the brink of famine, children dying of hunger and thirst

Gaza: Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), has said that the situation in the Gaza Strip is extremely pathetic. This kind of crisis had never been seen here before. “We are facing an avoidable tragedy,” Lazzarini said in a press statement on Friday, according to Xinhua news agency. He added that the people of Gaza are being deliberately pushed towards starvation.
Lazzarini has warned that the Gaza Strip is on the brink of famine. Children are dying due to hunger and thirst. He called for opening more crossings for aid trucks coming to Gaza. According to the Gaza-based health ministry, at least 20 people, mostly children, have died from malnutrition due to the war. Meanwhile, Lazzarini said the agency “has yet to find any evidence of Israel’s allegations that UNRWA staff participated in the October 7 attack last year.” It is noteworthy that Israel had alleged that 12 UNRWA employees were involved in the Hamas attack in southern Israel. This led many countries to suspend support to the agency amounting to approximately $440 million, approximately half of UNRWA’s annual funding.