UN Reports Nearly 800 Deaths at Gaza Aid Points Amid Rising Malnutrition
The United Nations (UN) has reported that nearly 800 people have been killed while receiving aid in Gaza, raising alarm over an escalating humanitarian crisis. The casualties, recorded by the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR), have occurred over the past six weeks at aid points administered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and near humanitarian convoys run by other relief groups. Meanwhile, acute malnutrition among the Gaza population is said to have reached an all-time high.
Background
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US- and Israeli-backed initiative, has been surrounded by controversy since its inception. It was proposed as an alternative to the UN aid system in Gaza, an idea that has been almost universally condemned by rights groups. Critics argue that the GHF violates principles of humanitarian impartiality and accuse it of potential complicity in war crimes.
The Ongoing Crisis
According to the OHCHR, of the 798 reported deaths, at least 615 were in the vicinity of GHF aid distribution points, while 183 were presumably on the route of aid convoys. Devastatingly, the death toll includes at least 10 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces while waiting in line for humanitarian aid in the al-Shakoush area, northwest of Rafah, in southern Gaza.
In addition to the mounting death toll, the Palestinian Health Ministry reports that over 4,200 individuals have been injured and 39 others have been reported missing after heading to the GHF sites to obtain food.
Response and Reactions
Despite the alarming figures reported by the UN, the GHF has contested the numbers, labeling them as false and misleading.
The GHF has suggested that the most deadly attacks on aid sites have been linked to UN convoys.
Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy has criticized the GHF's aid delivery mechanism, calling it “completely unacceptable” and warning of further action if the situation continues.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has also raised concern over the food security situation in Gaza, reporting instances of people fainting from lack of food and calling for at least 100 trucks of aid to enter Gaza daily to recover from the brink.
Current Status
The violence amid the humanitarian crisis comes as negotiators from Israel and Hamas are locked in talks in Qatar to agree on a temporary ceasefire. As the negotiations continue, the UN continues to record new casualties, with the death toll of aid seekers surpassing 770. Amid these grim statistics, hope for a ceasefire persists, with former US President Donald Trump stating there’s a “very good chance” of a Gaza ceasefire within days.