“We are getting closer to famine” in Gaza, warns the UN

Symbol of the disastrous state of the situation, a video published a few days ago on social networks shows a crowd storming a truck to loot boxes of humanitarian aid. In Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, most residents do not have enough food. “99% of families in Rafah have only one meal a day at the moment. And those are cans, but sometimes only breadsays Palestinian journalist Anas Baba. On the market, there is no chicken, no meat, nothing to cook with… Even pasta has become inaccessible.”

Rafah has become a gigantic refugee camp. Overpopulation, poverty and the explosion of prices contribute to this food insecurity. Khaled, living in the south for several weeks, testifies: “Currently, a few stores are open, but the shelves are empty ! And there are only 25 stores in all of Rafah, with queues everywhere.”

Prices multiplied by five

Today in Gaza there are two types of markets and two types of prices: the stores with prices controlled by the police on some products, and the black market in the street with prices that are sometimes five times higher than before the war. A few private trucks, managed by large trading families, manage to cross the border, but the bulk of the supply comes from humanitarian aid.

“We cannot reach everyone, and when we can distribute aid, it is not enough. It is essential that we can bring in more commercial deliveries. The private sector must also play a role role. We are getting closer to famine.”

Juliette Touma, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency

at franceinfo

There are four times fewer trucks entering the Gaza Strip today than before the war. They have almost no access to the north of the enclave, where the situation becomes critical.