A senior UN official has warned that at least a quarter of Gaza’s population is one step away from famine and many children are severely malnourished.
Humanitarian coordinator Ramesh Ramasingham told the UN Security Council last night that “there is every possibility for further deterioration” in the enclave, where nearly everyone is in need of food.
One in six children under two in northern Gaza – which was first targeted by Israel – are suffering from “acute malnutrition and wasting”, he said.
The rest of the region’s population are facing “woefully inadequate humanitarian food assistance”, said Mr Ramasingham, as he reiterated calls for a ceasefire.
His colleagues from the World Food Programme and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation also urged a stop to the fighting.
Carl Skau, deputy executive director and chief operating officer at the WFP, said the organisation was “ready to swiftly expand and scale up our operations if there is a ceasefire agreement”.
He warned famine was “imminent in northern Gaza” if nothing changes on the ground.
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