Washington:
The head of the United Nations food program has warned of “complete famine” in northern Gaza and reiterated calls for a ceasefire in Israel's war against Hamas.
“There is a famine, a full-blown famine in the north and it is now spreading south,” Cindy McCain, executive director of the World Food Program, said in an interview excerpt published Friday.
“What we are asking for and what we have consistently asked for is a ceasefire and the ability to have unfettered access to get into Gaza safely – different ports, different border crossings,” McCain continued.
The World Food Program is one of several humanitarian groups trying to get aid to Gaza.
The World Health Organization said Friday that food availability in the Gaza Strip has improved very slightly, although the risk of famine remains in the besieged Palestinian territory, home to 2.4 million people.
Israel has repeatedly accused the United Nations and non-governmental organizations of not distributing aid quickly enough.
Aid agencies blame the flow of essential food into the Palestinian enclave on restrictions and inspections imposed by Israel.
The war in Gaza broke out after Hamas' unprecedented attack on Israel on October 7 resulted in the deaths of more than 1,170 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
The militants also took about 250 hostages, of whom Israel estimates 128 remain in Gaza, including 35 who are presumed dead.
Israel's devastating retaliatory campaign has killed at least 34,622 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
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