‘Worst-Case Famine Scenario’ Is Unfolding in Gaza, According to U.N.-Backed Report

TIME

Aid agencies echoed wider warnings of growing signs of widespread starvation in Gaza on Tuesday (29 Jul), as UN-partnered international food security experts released their most dire assessment yet of the situation in the wartorn enclave.

Transcript

00:00What we're here today to present is this IPC alert on the state of the situation inside Gaza.

00:08And we know that, as I've said before, it's not a warning. It is an active and significant

00:16humanitarian catastrophe. We need all actors to come together to support this humanitarian action,

00:24including actors on the ground, to be able to allow us to have humanitarian access to reach

00:31people where they are. Our interest is actually reaching the people, the civilians, the vulnerable

00:37families in need, the women and children that are clearly, clearly suffering right now. We're

00:42getting about approximately 50 percent of what we're requesting into Gaza since these humanitarian

00:49pauses started on Sunday. And I outlined earlier some of the challenges we continue to experience.

00:55It's clearly a disaster is unfolding in front of our eyes, in front of our television screens. This

01:01is not a warning. This is a call to action. This is unlike anything we have seen in this century. It

01:07reminds us of previous disasters in Ethiopia or Biafra in the past century. And it's clear that

01:14we need urgent action now. So this is definitely not a warning. This is a call to action. We have

01:18extensive experience in other operational contexts on airdrops, and it really is a last resort where

01:24there are no other logistical transport options. In addition to being, you know, far too expensive

01:30and inefficient, it just is not a practical solution in this context. It carries extreme risk for

01:35populations that are, you know, in a very dense population base in different parts of Gaza. And we've

01:42seen some of those reports of injuries already. We welcome these humanitarian pauses,

01:46and we would like to see the full spirit of them implemented all along, right down to the

01:52distribution point so that we can move quickly and effectively. Until those different delays and

01:57approvals, clearances, the interaction with armed forces and civilians on the ground, until that is

02:04improved, we're not going to see sufficient enough change to turn the dial on the humanitarian situation in

02:11that kind of thing.

02:12Yeah.

02:13Yeah.

02:14Yeah.

02:15Yeah.

Category

Transcript

Recommended