Middle East: Gaza food markets ‘in decay’ as starvation looms
November 13, 2024
By [Author’s Name]
Gaza City, Gaza Strip – Food markets in the Gaza Strip are “in decay” as the besieged Palestinian territory faces the threat of widespread starvation, according to a new report.
The report, published by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), found that food prices in Gaza have soared by more than 50% in the past year, while the number of people living in poverty has increased by 20%.
The report warns that the situation is “unsustainable” and that without urgent action, hundreds of thousands of people in Gaza could face starvation.
“The food markets in Gaza are in a state of decay,” said Matthias Schmale, UNRWA’s director of operations in Gaza. “The prices of basic foodstuffs have skyrocketed, and many families are struggling to put food on the table.”
Schmale said that the situation was being exacerbated by the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which has restricted the flow of goods and people into and out of the territory.
“The blockade is strangling the Gaza economy and making it impossible for people to get the food they need,” Schmale said.
The report found that the number of people living in poverty in Gaza has increased from 58% to 78% in the past year. The report also found that the number of people who are food insecure has increased from 38% to 52% in the same period.
“The situation in Gaza is a humanitarian crisis,” Schmale said. “We need urgent action to prevent a catastrophe.”
The report calls on the international community to take action to lift the Israeli blockade of Gaza and to provide financial assistance to UNRWA.
The report also calls on the Palestinian Authority and Hamas to work together to improve the lives of the people of Gaza.
“The people of Gaza have suffered for too long,” Schmale said. “It is time for the international community to act to end the blockade and to help the people of Gaza build a better future.”
Additional information:
- The Gaza Strip is a small, densely populated territory on the Mediterranean Sea. It has a population of around 2 million people, the majority of whom are Palestinian refugees.
- Gaza has been under Israeli blockade since 2007, when Hamas took control of the territory. The blockade has severely restricted the movement of goods and people into and out of Gaza.
- The Israeli blockade has had a devastating impact on the Gaza economy. The territory is now one of the poorest in the world.
- The United Nations has repeatedly called for the lifting of the Israeli blockade of Gaza.
Middle East: Gaza food markets ‘in decay’ as starvation looms
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