Palestinians gather to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, as the Israel-Gaza conflict continues, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, December 4, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem/File Photo
Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza Deepens Amid Gang Violence and Aid Distribution Challenges
Israel has faced criticism from U.N. and U.S. officials for failing to address gang attacks on food convoys in Gaza, despite committing in October to improve security for humanitarian aid. This inaction has exacerbated the dire humanitarian crisis in the enclave, with food supplies dwindling and gang violence spiraling out of control.
Increasing Looting of Aid Convoys
According to a U.N. tally, approximately $9.5 million worth of humanitarian aid, nearly a quarter of the aid sent to Gaza in October, was lost to attacks and looting. Preliminary data indicates that the situation worsened in November. One incident involved a 109-truck convoy attacked shortly after leaving a border crossing. Gunmen forced the trucks to nearby compounds, looting flour and food kits from 98 of them.
The Israeli military, stationed nearby during the attack, reportedly did not intervene. The IDF has declined to comment on the incident.
Impact on Civilians
The looting has disrupted aid deliveries, leaving many of Gaza’s 2.1 million residents without essential food and medical supplies. A daily World Food Programme review reported that 15 of the 19 bakeries it supports in Gaza were out of operation as of December 21 due to a lack of flour. One of these, the Zadna 2 bakery, has been closed since late November, affecting 50,000 people who depend on it for bread.
Looted food often ends up on the market at prices most residents cannot afford, exacerbating the hunger crisis.
Ongoing Humanitarian Struggles
Relief workers face significant challenges accessing northern Gaza, where intensified fighting since October has stranded 30,000 to 50,000 civilians with minimal aid. The suspension of commercial food shipments by Israel in October further compounded the crisis. These shipments previously accounted for nearly all fresh food and over half of Gaza’s total goods supply.
While a new crossing at Kissufim has been opened, aid convoys along this route have also been targeted by gangs. These gangs, often organized along tribal and familial lines, include criminal elements freed during the Israeli offensive.
Calls for Action
The U.N. and the United States have pressed Israel to restore commercial food shipments to Gaza, arguing that flooding the territory with food would reduce prices and discourage looters. Israeli authorities have not agreed to this measure, maintaining that their responsibility is limited to facilitating aid transfers to Gaza’s borders.
The U.N.’s emergency-response coordinator Georgios Petropoulos highlighted the severity of the situation, stating, “It’s just gotten too big for humanitarians to solve.”
International Response
Despite some progress in ceasefire talks mediated by Egypt, Qatar, and the United States, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to worsen, underscoring the urgent need for effective solutions to ensure aid reaches those in need.
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