WFP warns of limited access to northern Gaza amid ongoing famine

GENEVA, Oct 21 (KUNA) -- The World Food Programme (WFP) warned on Tuesday of the severe difficulties and limited access to Gaza City and northern areas due to the continued closure of border crossings.
Current estimates indicate that around half a million people in the North of Gaza remain in famine or at risk of famine, noted the WFP Senior Regional Communications Officer and Spokesperson for the Middle East North Africa and Eastern Europe Abeer Etefa.
In a press briefing held in Geneva, she confirmed that the programme has so far managed to carry out one distribution in northern Gaza providing nutrition supplements for pregnant and nursing mothers as well as for children suffering from malnutrition.
She added that on Sunday the WFP was unable to bring food supplies into Gaza due to renewed fighting which she said "demonstrates the fragility of the ceasefire." She warned that the humanitarian situation "remains extremely dire" as many families are "in survival mode" eating less, spending less, and waiting anxiously amid cautious optimism about the continuation of the ceasefire particularly as airstrikes have been reported in some areas despite the truce announcement.
Etefa stressed that sustaining the ceasefire and opening all border crossings are vital to saving lives and preventing famine adding that WFP and other humanitarian agencies are scaling up operations to provide clean water food supplies and shelter particularly for families who have lost their homes.
She emphasized that humanitarian aid alone will not be sufficient to address severe malnutrition and that commercial supplies must be allowed in stressing the need to bring prices down which remain extremely high and beyond the reach of many families. She reaffirmed that the WFP continues its intensive efforts to deliver humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza since the ceasefire began on October 11 adding that WFP teams have cleared debris from roads leading to the north and are ready to move large-scale convoys once crossings open.
Etefa stated that since the start of the ceasefire more than 530 trucks have entered Gaza supporting bakeries nutrition programmes and general food distributions with over 6.700 metric tons of food delivered enough to feed around half a million people for two weeks.
She added that daily deliveries continue at around 750 tons per day describing this as a significant improvement compared to before the ceasefire but warned that it is still well below the WFP's target of 2.000 tons per day with full access across the Strip.
Etefa also clarified that the WFP's standard food basket does not include fresh food or produce due to its fragility and short shelf life which is why the programme relies on the digital voucher system allowing families to buy fresh food supplies from markets whenever available. (end) imk.aai