The WFP chief's visit came just days after an authoritative panel of hunger experts confirmed that famine is present in Gaza City affecting more than 500,000 people, and is likely to spread by the end of September without an urgent increase in humanitarian aid. This is just the fifth famine to be confirmed this century.
Two years of conflict have left families displaced, many multiple times, and lacking the basics for survival. Haunted by the fear of starvation, many have resorted to taking food directly off WFP's truck convoys as they travel to their destinations, preventing aid from reaching the people who need it most.
"Gaza is at a breaking point. Desperation is soaring - and I saw it firsthand." McCain said. "We must urgently be able to revive our vast and trusted network of 200 food distribution points across the Strip, community kitchens and bakeries. It is urgent that the right conditions are in place so we can reach the most vulnerable and save lives."
The Executive Director went to Deir-al-Balah and Khan Younis areas, where she witnessed the impact of nearly two years of war. In Deir-a-Ballah, she visited a nutrition clinic keeping children alive and met with displaced mothers who shared their daily struggle to survive including searching for scraps of food, which often yields nothing.
"I met starving children receiving treatment for severe malnutrition - and I saw photos of when they were healthy. Today they are unrecognizable." McCain said.
WFP brings food assistance into Gaza every day, and the last month has seen a moderate increase in the amount of humanitarian and commercial goods entering the Strip. However, this is well below the amount needed to support two million people, many of whom face extreme hunger.
WFP stands ready to further scale up its operations, and to do this is calling for:
- Faster approval and clearances to moves trucks inside and within Gaza.
- Safe access for civilians to reach aid, and for humanitarian workers to reach civilians with aid.
- The resumption of WFP's robust distribution network inside of Gaza.
In Israel, the Executive Director met with the Prime Minister, Chief of General Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and leadership from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In these discussions, she appreciated the ongoing coordination to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian food assistance in Gaza to civilian populations, conveyed the urgent need for a surge of food assistance to reach the most vulnerable and reiterated the importance of safe, sustained access to reach the most vulnerable civilians.
In Ramallah, Executive Director McCain met with the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, where she conveyed that WFP's top priority is scaling up principled humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable civilians.
"What we need is a ceasefire. My heart goes to the mothers in Gaza, as well as to the mothers of the Israeli hostages, whose children are currently starving. Enough is enough" McCain said. "We can quickly scale-up humanitarian aid to reach the most vulnerable inside Gaza, support the return of all hostages, and lay the foundation for peace and stability."
WFP has over 60 years of expertise, operating in some of the world's most complex environments, including active war and conflict zones. With a vast global logistics network, WFP is able to rapidly procure, transport, and deliver life-saving food assistance to anyone, anywhere -wherever it is needed most.
