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Kuwait Times
3 hours ago
- Health
- Kuwait Times
Gaza disaster reminiscent of Ethiopia, Biafra famines: UN
'Situation is dire for women and girls and children are starving to death' GENEVA: The humanitarian disaster in Gaza is reminiscent of last century's famines in Ethiopia and Nigeria's Biafra region which jointly claimed over two million lives, the UN food agency warned Tuesday. The World Food Programme joined warnings that famine is underway in the Gaza Strip. 'This is unlike anything we have seen in this century,' WFP emergency director Ross Smith told reporters in Geneva. 'It reminds us of previous disasters in Ethiopia or Biafra in the past century,' he said, speaking from Rome. Ethiopia's 1983-84 famine killed more than one million people and the famine resulting from the 1967-1970 Biafra war also contributed to over a million deaths. Smith's comments came after the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) warned Tuesday that 'the worst-case scenario of famine is now unfolding in the Gaza Strip'. The IPC, a UN-backed group of organizations used as a monitor to gauge malnutrition, said 'immediate, unimpeded' humanitarian access into Gaza was needed to stop more 'starvation and death'. Zionist entity imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2 after ceasefire talks broke down. In late May, it began allowing a small trickle of aid to resume, amid warnings of a wave of starvation. GAZA/ATHENS: A protestor holds as a prop of a wrapped dead baby during a protest in support of Palestinians and calling against the ongoing food shortages in the Gaza Strip, in Athens. -- AFP photos The IPC said its latest data shows that 'famine thresholds' have been reached in 'most of the Gaza Strip'. Its alert does not yet amount to an official new famine classification. But Jean-Martin Bauer, WFP's food security and nutrition analysis director, said it was clear that 'indicators have gotten dramatically worse' since the IPC officially warned in May of a 'risk of famine' in Gaza. He cautioned that 'food consumption and nutrition indicators have now reached their worst level since the start of the conflict', which erupted after Hamas's deadly attack inside Zionist entity on October 7, 2023. 'In July, for the first time since the start of the crisis, malnutrition levels have exceeded the famine threshold in Gaza City,' he said. 'What we're seeing is mounting evidence that a famine is there,' he said, urging 'immediate action ... to avert massive human suffering'. The situation is particularly dire for women and girls, the UN Women agency warned, saying they 'are facing the impossible choice of starving to death at their shelters, or venturing out in search of food and water at extreme risk of being killed'. 'Children are starving to death before their eyes,' spokeswoman Sofia Calltorp said. Over the weekend, Zionist entity declared a 'tactical pause' in army operations in parts of Gaza, saying more than 120 truckloads of food were allowed in, with some countries—such as Jordan and the UAE—air-dropping food into the besieged Palestinian territory. But Smith stressed that far less aid can be brought in by air than by truck, while air-drops risk falling on people in densely-populated Gaza. 'It carries extreme risk for populations,' he said, warning that there were already reports of injuries. 'We do have that practical solution waiting, ready at the borders of Gaza at the crossing points and ready to move,' he said. – AFP
Zawya
8 hours ago
- General
- Zawya
European Union maintains vital support for World Food Programme (WFP)'s lifesaving assistance in Algeria
The European Union (EU) has reaffirmed its commitment to Sahrawi refugees in Algeria through sustained funding for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), enabling the delivery of vital food assistance to over 133,000 vulnerable people each month. This month marks the second year of the multi-year partnership that provides €5 million annually to address one of the world's most protracted refugee crises. In the remote desert camps near Tindouf, where Sahrawi refugees have lived since 1975, WFP's assistance remains a lifeline. More than 80 percent of the population relies entirely on humanitarian aid to meet their basic food needs. Through its partnership with the Algerian Red Crescent, WFP distributes monthly food rations tailored to nutritional needs, while increasingly prioritising programmes, including Social Behaviour Change (SBC) initiatives, addressing malnutrition among children and pregnant women and promoting better nutrition practices. "We are deeply grateful to the European Union for their unwavering support and commitment to the Sahrawi refugees," said Aline Rumonge, WFP Representative and Country Director in Algeria. "This strong and reliable partnership provides the sustained funding we need to deliver life-saving assistance while improving the effectiveness of our operations in the camps.' In 2024, WFP provided nearly 19,000 metric tons of food and reached 8,600 pregnant and breastfeeding women with monthly cash-based transfers to improve dietary diversity and reduce the risk of anaemia. In addition, WFP distributed specialised nutritious food to prevent and treat moderate acute malnutrition among children under five. The EU has been a cornerstone donor for WFP's operations in Algeria, contributing €102 million (US$123.4 million) since 2003. With needs persisting and global attention waning, this enduring partnership underscores a shared commitment to ensure Sahrawi refugees are not forgotten. WFP has supported the Sahrawi refugees in Algeria since 1986. WFP's operations in the country are carried out and monitored in collaboration with national and international organizations to ensure food assistance reaches the people for whom it is intended. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Food Programme (WFP).
DW
11 hours ago
- Politics
- DW
Gaza: NGOs blast 'futile' aid airdrops – DW – 07/30/2025
As famine-like conditions take hold in Gaza, human rights organizations have criticized plans by Germany and other countries to airlift food into the territory, calling them "ineffective" and "symbolic." "We need urgent action now," said Ross Smith, director of emergency preparedness and response at the UN World Food Programme (WFP) this week, as he told the press in Rome that the hunger and starvation currently underway in Gaza were "unlike anything we have seen in this century. It reminds us of previous disasters in Ethiopia or Biafra in the past century." "Worst-case scenario of famine unfolding in the Gaza Strip," read an alert issued by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The UN's hunger monitoring initiative has concluded that mounting evidence shows that "widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths." It added: "Latest data indicates that famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City." Most of the more than 2 million inhabitants of the already densely populated Gaza Strip, which has a total area of 365 square kilometers (141 square miles), are currently living in extremely overcrowded refugee camps in an even more limited space because the Israeli army has declared large parts of the strip militarized zones. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently declared there was "no policy of starvation in Gaza, and there is no starvation in Gaza." Israel has barred international journalists from entering Gaza. Dozens of Palestinian journalists have been killed. Since the weekend, members of the international community have been trying to find ways of alleviating the acute misery in Gaza. On Sunday, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into Gaza. Germany and France also announced airdrop missions. "This work may only make a small contribution to humanitarian aid, but it sends an important signal: We are here, we are in the region," said Germany Chancellor Friedrich Merz. Aid organizations expressed dismay. "Using airdrops for the delivery of humanitarian aid is a futile initiative that smacks of cynicism," said Doctors Without Borders (MSF) emergency coordinator in Gaza Jean Guy Vataux. He said that airdrops were "notoriously ineffective and dangerous." The Berlin-based Center for Humanitarian Action (CHA) said it was "the most senseless airlift ever" as well as "symbolic politics and a waste of money." Its director Ralf Südhoff said that airlifts were up to 35 times more expensive than land convoys. Marvin Fürderer, an emergency relief expert at the German charity Welthungerhilfe, also described the airdrops as "symbolic" and "ineffective." He told DW that one fundamental problem of the approach was that aid would be "dropped into a high-risk environment, without coordination, without a designated drop zone and without safety structures." He added that it would likely not reach those who needed it most but those who were "still mobile enough to fight their way through the rubble and crowded streets to get to a place where aid had been dropped and then to wrangle for it." Almost every day, Palestinians are killed trying to access food at the few hubs run by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The US nonprofit is backed by President Donald Trump's administration and the Israeli government and was set up to distribute humanitarian aid after Israel banned the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in Gaza and the other Occupied Palestinian Territories earlier this year. However, it has failed to provide security: The UN accuses the Israeli military of firing on people standing in line. This week, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said that "more than one thousand people have been killed since the end of May as they tried to get food." International NGOs have called on Israel to allow the unhindered entry of aid into Gaza and for those organizations that used to provide supplies at around 600 distribution hubs to be permitted to resume their activities. At a press conference in Berlin, Riad Othman, a Middle East expert at the German-based human rights organization Medico International, explained that before October 7, 2023, the population of Gaza and its economy were being supplied by 500 to 600 trucks per day. "Today, even 600 trucks a day would not be enough to meet demand because not only has the essential infrastructure and healthcare system been systematically destroyed in Gaza, but so too has agriculture," he added. A truck can typically hold about 20 tons of aid, which includes medical supplies and drinking water, as well as food. Israel has been letting some aid trucks into Gaza since Sunday, likely owing to international pressure. The Israeli military body that facilitates the entry of aid to Gaza, COGAT, said 220 aid trucks crossed into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. On October 7, 2023 the militant Palestinian organization Hamas and other groups killed more than 1,200 people in Israel in a coordinated attack. They also took 250 hostages back to Gaza. Israel launched a counterattack and declared that it would destroy Hamas. The Gaza Health Ministry says that at least 60,000 people have died, at least 147 from starvation. After violating a ceasefire agreement in March, Israel blocked all aid supplies to Gaza for more than 80 days. Now, Israel says it is observing daily pauses in fighting in parts of Gaza and once again allowing aid to be delivered via land. Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has criticized this, saying it is akin to providing life support for the enemy. Julia Duchrow, the secretary general of Amnesty International's German section, said that there was "ample evidence that Israel is using hunger as a weapon of war." She called on the German government to stop supplying arms to Israel and to increase diplomatic pressure on the Israeli government. The Israeli government has denied many international NGOs access to Gaza. Welthungerhilfe can only provide aid via local partners, Fürderer told DW, saying that a permanent ceasefire was crucial and that the border crossings had to be opened to allow humanitarian aid in. He said that if this were to happen, Welthungerhilfe could immediately bring in aid from Jordan. "The convoys could start within hours, as soon as the political conditions on the ground allowed," he pointed out. By contrast, he said, the airdrops would call for logistical reorganization that would be costly. "It is very interesting that this is now being considered, at a time when the government wants to cut humanitarian aid by 53%," Fürderer said. "In a situation like this, it is difficult to spend millions on symbolic, ineffective airdrops." The German air force already has some experience dropping aid into Gaza. In spring 2024, A400M military transport aircraft flew airdrop missions for 10 weeks, dropping 315 tons of aid supplies in view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Business Insider
13 hours ago
- Health
- Business Insider
Aid cuts from the United States could advance terrorism in Nigeria
Aid agencies have warned that aid cuts from the United States to Nigeria could push more people into the hands of terrorist organizations in the Northern region of Nigeria. Aid agencies warn cuts to U.S. assistance in Nigeria may increase terrorism recruitment. The United Nations' WFP reduced rations following a funding decrease from the U.S. President Trump's America First policy impacted global humanitarian aid funding. In recent months, the United Nations' World Food Programme has trimmed down rations to Nigeria owing to a drop in funding from the United States. "It will be much easier for militants to lure youths to join them and spiral insecurity across the whole region," Trust Mlambo, head of operations in the area for WFP, told the BBC. Since assuming office, U.S. President Donald Trump has embarked on an aggressive campaign to cut wasteful spending, in what he described as an America First policy. The initiative has had a negative impact on humanitarian support for destitute and war-torn nations. On January 20, 2025, an executive order put a 90-day hold on all US foreign development assistance, leading to the widespread suspension of aid programs. Till today, the United States still insists on drastically reducing the amount of aid sent to other countries. In keeping with President Donald Trump's America First idea, the US State Department admitted that certain changes have been made as a result of its recent restructuring of humanitarian aid programs. "The United States continues to be the most generous nation in the world, and we urge other nations to increase their humanitarian efforts," a senior State Department official stated. 80% of US government assistance to the WFP has not been impacted, as seen in a report by the BBC. This year, the WFP has already seen a rise in malnutrition rates in Nigeria due to a decrease in funding from all donors. The number of children suffering from the most severe and fatal kind of malnutrition more than doubled over the first half of the year, according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). "Six-hundred-and-fifty-two children have already died in our facilities since the beginning of 2025 due to lack of timely access to care," the medical charity said.
Irish Post
13 hours ago
- Health
- Irish Post
Ireland commits to sending €2m funding for food as Gaza faces famine
IRELAND has committed €2m in funding to support a programme delivering food to Gaza. Humanitarian agencies have warned this week that the war-torn region faces famine as deaths due to malnutrition and starvation are increasing as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues. The IPC (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification) has issued an alert claiming that the 'worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in the Gaza Strip'. 'Conflict and displacement have intensified, and access to food and other essential items and services has plummeted to unprecedented levels,' they said in a statement. 'Mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths,' they add. The IPC has warned that famine thresholds have been reached in war-torn Gaza (Pic: IPC) The IPC further confirmed that famine 'thresholds' have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip and for acute malnutrition in Gaza City. 'Malnutrition has been rising rapidly in the first half of July,' they explained. 'Over 20,000 children have been admitted for treatment for acute malnutrition between April and mid-July, with more than 3,000 severely malnourished. 'Hospitals have reported a rapid increase in hunger-related deaths of children under five years of age, with at least 16 reported deaths since July 17.' They added: 'Immediate action must be taken to end the hostilities and allow for unimpeded, large-scale, life-saving humanitarian response. 'This is the only path to stopping further deaths and catastrophic human suffering." Yesterday Tánaiste Simon Harris confirmed Ireland would send €2m to support the World Food Programme (WFP) to deliver food to Gaza. 'Deliberately denying food to people, including babies, in Gaza is beyond comprehension,' he said. 'Children are starving in what is a catastrophic situation on the ground,' he added. 'In recent days I've asked my officials to examine how best Ireland can play a part in helping. 'This emergency package of funding being announced today will support the World Food Programme to get food to people who urgently need it. 'The WFP managed to deliver 4,000 tonnes of food to people in Gaza last week. 'This is life-saving work but WFP estimate that 62,000 tonnes of food aid is needed per month. 'Once again, we call on Israel to remove the many restrictions and delays on transport into and within Gaza. 'This is the only feasible way to avert famine in Gaza.' Ireland's Minister for International Development, Neale Richmond, said the situation in Gaza is 'catastrophic'. 'People are being deliberately denied food and are now on the brink of famine, this must stop," he said. 'The World Food Programme is best placed to deliver food to people in Gaza," the minister added. :This is the only way to avert a famine in Gaza. Ireland will continue to support their life-saving work.' See More: Famine, Food, Funding, Gaza, Ireland, Israel
