In the remote northern areas of the Gaza Strip, concerns are escalating as numerous children have gone days without food due to aid convoys being frequently blocked from entering. Residents have resorted to searching for water by digging for underground pipes.
The situation has left many of Gaza's northern inhabitants without access to aid, pushing them towards a potential famine. The United Nations has sounded the alarm about the severe rise in acute malnutrition among children in these areas, with rates surpassing the critical 15% threshold.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha), there has been a significant increase in the refusal of entry for aid deliveries to the north, with rejections rising to 56% in January from just 14% in the preceding months.
However, Cogat, the Israeli military agency responsible for facilitating aid access in Gaza, disputes these claims. A spokesperson asserted last month that there is no starvation in Gaza, emphasizing that the agency does not restrict the quantity of aid entering the region.
Local medical aid worker Mahmoud Shalabi from Beit Lahia has reported that people are making flour out of grains meant for animal feed, a resource that is now dwindling. Additionally, supplies of canned food are running low.
A UN-conducted famine risk assessment warns that nearly a third of the population in northern Gaza may be facing a "catastrophic" food shortage. However, restricted access to the area complicates accurate, real-time assessments.
As the conflict intensifies, Gaza's reliance on food aid grows, with the war devastating much of its agricultural sector. In Rafah, a border town further south, over a million displaced people are seeking refuge, exacerbating the already dire humanitarian situation.
An agreement between Israel and Hamas is viewed by many as essential for resolving the crisis. With Israel launching bombings in Rafah in anticipation of a ground offensive, the urgency for both sides to alleviate the hardships of Gazans and address the issue of Israeli hostages is mounting.