The international aid group Mercy Corps is warning about famine and disease affecting Palestinians in Gaza as Israel and Hamas continue their war. Kate Phillips-Barrasso, vice president of Mercy Corps, said that relentless fighting and insufficient humanitarian aid were compounding the crisis.
Quick Read
- Mercy Corps on Gaza Crisis: The international aid group Mercy Corps is raising alarms about the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, including famine and disease, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
- Inadequate Aid and Hunger: According to Kate Phillips-Barrasso, vice president of Mercy Corps, the current level of humanitarian aid is insufficient. She highlighted that half a million people are facing extreme hunger and starvation.
- Challenges in Aid Delivery: Phillips-Barrasso pointed out the complexity of delivering aid in Gaza due to security risks and the inadequacy of lifesaving goods being allowed into the area.
- Incident Involving Aid Convoy: A senior U.N. official reported that Israeli troops fired on a U.N. aid convoy in northern Gaza, damaging a vehicle but causing no injuries. This incident highlights the dangers faced by humanitarian missions in the region.
- Israeli Military’s Response: There has been no immediate comment from the Israeli military regarding the incident involving the U.N. aid convoy.
The Associated Press has the story:
Aid group warns of Famine in Gaza; UN official says Israel Fired on Aid Convoy
Newslooks- CAIRO — (AP)
The international aid group Mercy Corps is warning about famine and disease affecting Palestinians in Gaza as Israel and Hamas continue their war.
Kate Phillips-Barrasso, vice president of Mercy Corps, said that relentless fighting and insufficient humanitarian aid were compounding the crisis.
She said the amount of lifesaving goods being allowed inside Gaza is a drop in the ocean and has not yet increased to the level necessary to meet Gazans’ basic and critical needs, even after Israel opened its Kerem Shalom border crossing.
She said half a million people face “catastrophic hunger and starvation.”
Phillips-Barrasso said the aid delivery is further complicated by the security risks involved.
A senior U.N. official said Friday that Israeli troops opened fire on an aid convoy returning from northern Gaza, damaging one vehicle. Thomas White, director of UNRWA affairs in Gaza, wrote on X that the convoy was driving Thursday on a route designated safe by the Israeli military.
He said no injuries were reported among the convoy’s team.
The Israeli military had no immediate comment.
Currently:
— Israeli strikes across Gaza kill dozens of Palestinians, even in largely emptied north
— An American-Canadian-Israeli woman believed to have been held hostage since Oct. 7 is declared dead
— As Gaza war grinds on, tensions soar along Israel’s volatile northern border with Lebanon
— Number of wounded Israeli soldiers grows, representing a hidden cost of war
— On foot and by donkey cart, thousands flee widening Israeli assault in central Gaza
— Find more of AP’s coverage at: https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
