World
Global Hunger Experts Sound Alarm on Gaza’s Looming Famine
Global hunger experts are warning about the imminent threat of famine in Gaza, highlighting the urgent need for intervention to address the growing food insecurity crisis in the region.
A panel of global hunger experts issued a warning this week, stating that the Gaza Strip is on the verge of a devastating famine. To many Gazans, the situation already feels like a dire reality.
“I swear our stomachs are decaying,” expressed Eman Abu Jaljum, a 23-year-old Gazan whose family in northern Gaza is surviving on canned peas and beans.
The experts’ report, released on Tuesday, revealed that nearly half a million people in the territory are at risk of starvation. While they refrained from officially declaring a famine, the conditions in Gaza, ravaged by almost nine months of conflict between Israel and Hamas, make the distinction seem negligible.
“We are living in a famine that is more extreme than ever before,” remarked Ms. Abu Jaljum.
Each day in Gaza presents a new challenge in securing food. Fresh vegetables are a rarity, while meat is even scarcer. The few functioning food markets have witnessed prices soaring, especially for essentials like flour and rice.
Iyad al-Sapti, a 30-year-old father of six in Gaza City, shared that the last time he managed to obtain a bag of flour was nearly two months ago, after waiting in line for three hours. He noted that a single bell pepper now costs over $2.