Exclusive: More than half a million Gazans are a 'step away from famine'

The office of the United Nations relief coordinator warned the Security Council this week that “hunger in Gaza has deteriorated fast and is at catastrophic levels,” with more than a quarter of the population a “step away from famine,” according to a confidential paper prepared for review by the 15-nation council.

The paper — drafted by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — urged Security Council members, including the United States, to use their influence to “ensure respect for international humanitarian law, including the prohibition of the use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of warfare.”

“Immediate action is needed to prevent conflict-induced famine and widespread food insecurity in Gaza,” the paper, which was seen by Devex, stated.

It appealed to council members to help implement a series of eight recommendations, including the facilitation of a “ceasefire and a peaceful settlement” of the crisis and “access into and within Gaza” for the delivery of humanitarian assistance. It urged the reopening of border crossing points, particularly in northern Gaza, and “the restoration of vital infrastructure and services needed for food systems and food production, including cross-border water pipelines, telecommunications and resumption of electricity and fuel distribution.”

The Israeli military’s months-long offensive in Gaza — triggered by Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre of some 1,200 people, mostly civilians in southern Israeli — has resulted in the deaths of nearly 30,000 Palestinians, as well as the wholesale destruction of food systems in the Palestinian enclave, leaving virtually the entire population of 2.2 million people dependant on foreign assistance for their survival, including 576,000 on the brink of famine.

The Biden administration — which is seeking congressional approval for more than $14 billion in military support for Israel’s war against Hamas — is facing increasing pressure, both domestically and internationally, to support an Israeli cease-fire, reflecting concerns about the human toll in Gaza amid Israeli threats to mount a major offensive in the town of Rafah, on Gaza’s border with Egypt.

On Feb. 20, the U.S. vetoed the third U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, contending it would undercut efforts to negotiate a release of Israeli hostages, seized on Oct. 7. The resolution had support from 13 members of the council, including allies like Korea, France, and Japan. The United Kingdom abstained.

This week, the U.S. shifted gears, introducing its own draft resolution calling for a “temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable,” but linking it to Hamas’ release of some 130 remaining hostages.

The draft —  posted on X by an Al Jazeera reporter — condemned Hamas’ attack on Israel, including the “taking and killing of hostages, murder, and sexual violence including rape.” It also called on Israel to abort any plans to mount a new military offensive in Rafah. “Under current circumstances a major ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians … such a major ground offensive should not proceed,” the draft stated.

While the U.N. paper does not explicitly single out Israel for pushing Gazans to the brink of famine, it doesn’t require much reading between the lines to discern who the U.N. feels bears the greatest responsibility. It urged the Security Council to use its influence to ensure the observance of the legal “prohibition of attacking, destroying, removing or rendering useless objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population (including food stuffs, crops, livestock, drinking water installations and irrigation works).”

The paper cited a chilling account of the struggles of delivering aid in a conflict zone, citing an increase in access denials by Israel since the beginning of January, as well as the collapse of security in northern Gaza.

“Out of the 28 planned aid missions between 1 January and 6 February to deliver food in the north, seven were facilitated, one partially facilitated, eight impeded, five postponed and seven denied,” the paper stated. Between Feb. 18 and 19, the World Food Programme “deployed successive, 10-truck convoys to northern Gaza as part of an effort to deliver essential food assistance.”

“Facing explosive anger, violence and a breakdown of law and order, the deliveries were paused after two days due to the inability to ensure safety and security for those distributing and receiving the assistance,” it said.

Even before the latest conflict, Israel’s 16-year-long blockade of Gaza had imposed “high levels of poverty,” with more than 53% of the population classified as living below the poverty level and 34% facing “deep poverty,” according to figures from the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics cited in the paper. “Due to the conflict, poverty in Gaza is expected to rise sharply between 20 to 45 per cent.”

In late December, more than two months into the current conflict, Gaza’s population of 2.2 million was projected to face high levels of acute food insecurity by February 2024, according to a report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — “the highest share of people facing high levels of acute food insecurity ever classified worldwide. Currently, one in every four people … are estimated to be facing catastrophic levels of deprivation and starvation.”

Two days after Hamas’ attack, Israel announced a “complete siege” of the Gaza Strip.

“No electricity, no food, no water, no gas — it’s all closed,” Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said in a video statement. Faced with international pressure, Israel has since allowed partial openings.

The conflict and siege have severely undermined Gaza’s food system, shutting off water pipelines, destroying vast stretches of agricultural land, barring fishing boats, and imposing particular hardships on children. “UNICEF has warned since November that children in southern Gaza have had access to only 1.5 to 2 litres of water per day, well below the accepted requirements for survival.

“Gaza has been under an electricity blackout since 11 October, when Israeli authorities disconnected power and cut off fuel supplies to the sole power plant in Gaza on 8 October,” according to the paper. “Commercial agricultural production is at a virtual standstill, impacting Gaza’s almost complete self-sufficiency in terms of vegetables, grapes, figs, olive oil, poultry meat, eggs and honey prior to 7 October 2023.”

The report noted that there had been a “complete halt” in the production of wheat flour at the five flour mills operating in Gaza before the current conflict, and a breakdown of the bakery network. Before the war, Gaza hosted some 97 bakeries. As of Jan. 17, there were only 15.

Israel has long accused Hamas of responsibility for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, claiming its forces have mounted rocket attacks against Israel from heavily populated neighborhoods, hospitals, and schools. It has also accused Hamas of storing massive amounts of food and fuel in an extensive network of tunnels to feed militants, not civilians.  

A spokesperson for Israel’s mission to the U.N. referred questions about the paper to the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson, who did not respond in time to a request for comment. However, the Israeli agency that coordinates with the U.N. and other humanitarian aid agencies in the Palestinian territories has countered criticism of Israel’s role in hindering the humanitarian response in Gaza. 

“Contrary to incorrect allegations, the @IDF is not preventing the entry of aid trucks to northern Gaza,” the office of the Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories, or COGAT, wrote on X. “We coordinate the transfer of aid to northern Gaza in accordance with the int'l humanitarian orgs requests and the operational conditions in the field.” COGAT also said that there are currently 20 bakeries in operation in Gaza.  

The U.N. paper said Israeli steps to relieve the humanitarian crisis have been woefully inadequate.

“Despite Israel’s facilitation of the entry of aid, including by re-opening the crossing at Kerem Shalom, the humanitarian delivery of food and fuel required to distribute it have been limited,” the paper stated. “This has resulted in inadequate levels of food assistance flowing into and across Gaza. To eliminate the risk of famine, the deterioration of health, nutrition, food security, and mortality must be halted.”