Calls to action for Gaza 'have predominantly been going to deaf ears': WFP

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN World Food Program (WFP) Country Director in Palestine, Matthew Hollingworth, on Friday emphasized the urgent need for a ceasefire, saying that their calls for action in Gaza are not being heeded.

Speaking in a virtual news conference, Hollingworth said: "Calls to action (for Gaza) have predominantly been going to deaf ears. But fundamentally what we need of course, is an immediate ceasefire."

Saying that the "exodus we have seen in past 20 days or so out of Rafah has been a horrific experience for many people," Hollingworth noted that there is a severe shortage of water, medical supplies, fuel, and food in places people have fled to.

Hollingworth said that the public health situation in these areas are "beyond crisis level," adding: "The everyday life is terrific and apocalyptic. People sleep to the sounds of bombing, they sleep to the sounds of drones, they sleep to the sounds of war."

On claims of Hamas looting UN aid, Hollingworth said, "We have not seen Hamas or the de-facto authority taking assistance from the World Food Program or other UN organizations."

Responding Anadolu's question on the non-functionality of US' floating dock in Gaza, Hollingworth recalled that the UN had voiced numerous concerns even before the floating dock became operational, and during its operational period, they managed to distribute less than a thousand tons of aid.

Saying that although the aid was minimal, Hollingworth said it was life-saving, and coordination with Israeli officials improved during the floating dock's operational period.

He emphasized that the floating dock could be "worth the investment" if it could supplement the physical delivery from land corridors.

Hollingworth mentioned that the World Food Program alone delivered 20,000 tons of aid in April and that approximately 45,000 tons of aid are needed monthly in Gaza.