UN warns food insecurity in Gaza reached ‘extremely critical state’ as death toll nears 29k

“In Rafah, humanitarian conditions have become increasingly severe, with continued reports of people stopping aid trucks to take food,” the UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

“Vulnerable segments of the population include children, the elderly and people with underlying health conditions… are particularly susceptible to the risk of malnutrition,” he added.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced health facilities in the Gaza Strip have been under attack during the war.

OCHA said humanitarian and health workers continue to face enormous challenges and risks to help people in need.

“Between 7 October and 12 February, there were 378 attacks on health care across Gaza, affecting 98 health facilities and 98 ambulances, according to the World Health Organization,” it added.

Meantime, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees or UNRWA has confirmed a total death toll of its employees in Gaza due to Israeli airstrikes at 158.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 Hamas attack. Israeli attacks since then have killed at least 28,858, injured more than 68,677 others, and caused mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Some 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the initial Hamas attack.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.