Severe food insecurity looming in Gaza: Red Cross chief

WASHINGTON

The head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) expressed concern Monday over food security in the Gaza Strip.

"A severe food insecurity is looming in Gaza. The risk of hunger is increasing daily, as about 80% of the population already faces emergency or catastrophic acute food insecurity conditions," said Jagan Chapagain on X.

More than a million children and elderly people in shelter centers suffer from the risk of dehydration, digestive and respiratory diseases, skin diseases and anemia, according to Palestine Red Crescent reports, he added.

"This is the harsh reality that people in Gaza face every day. I reiterate my call for a safe & unhindered humanitarian access to facilitate the delivery of vital-lifesaving humanitarian aid," Chapagain said.

Israel has launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border incursion by the Palestinian group Hamas, killing at least 29,782 people and causing mass destruction and shortages of necessities, while nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed.

The Israeli war on Gaza has pushed 85% of the territory's population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.