The World Food Programme (WFP), the UN's food agency, announced on Tuesday the suspension of aid deliveries to northern Gaza following incidents of gunfire and looting targeting a convoy of trucks. Despite widespread hunger and a dire humanitarian situation, the WFP had recently resumed deliveries after a three-week pause.
The agency reported that its convoy encountered "complete chaos and violence" during its journey, with incidents of people attempting to climb onto trucks and facing gunfire upon entering Gaza City. The situation worsened on the second day of deliveries, leading to looting, violence, and the beating of a truck driver.
Due to the collapse of civil order and safety concerns, the WFP made the difficult decision to halt aid deliveries "until conditions are in place that allow for safe distributions." The agency emphasized that this decision could exacerbate the already dire situation, with unprecedented levels of desperation reported in the region.
Gaza has been grappling with a severe food crisis since the beginning of the conflict, and UN agencies have repeatedly warned about the scarcity of food and safe water. The recent developments underscore the challenges faced by humanitarian organizations in providing essential aid to the vulnerable population in the midst of ongoing hostilities.
The conflict in Gaza, now in its twentieth week, has resulted in a significant loss of life and infrastructure damage, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
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