By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

“The north is basically cut off and we’re not able to operate there.”

No food aid has entered northern Gaza since October 1, affecting thousands of Palestinian families, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) has announced.

In a statement, WFP said food distribution points, as well as kitchens and bakeries in North Gaza, have been forced to shut down due to Israeli airstrikes, military ground operations and evacuation orders. The only functioning bakery in North Gaza caught fire after being hit “by an explosive munition”.

“The north is basically cut off and we’re not able to operate there,” Antoine Renard, WFP Country Director for Palestine said.

Renard emphasized that WFP has been on the ground since the onset of the crisis.

“We are committed to delivering life-saving food every day despite the mounting challenges, but without safe and sustained access, it is virtually impossible to reach the people in need.”

Escalating violence in northern #Gaza is having a disastrous impact on food security.

No food aid has entered the north since 1 October.

It is unclear how long WFP’s remaining food supplies in the north, already distributed to shelters and health facilities, will last.

— World Food Programme (@WFP) October 12, 2024

The last remaining food supplies in the north – including canned food, wheat flour, high-energy biscuits, and nutrition supplements – have been distributed to shelters, health facilities and kitchens in Gaza City and three shelters in North Gaza, the UN body said.

It pointed out that if the conflict continues to escalate at the current scale, it is unclear how long these limited food supplies will last and the consequences for fleeing families will be dire.

The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for residents in the north a week ago, including the evacuation of three hospitals; Kamal Adwan Hospital, the Indonesian Hospital and Al-Awda Hospital.

Lowest Level of Aid Entry

The escalating situation in the north comes as aid entering Gaza is at its lowest level in months, with WFP able to bring in only four per cent of the food needed to sustain a million people in Gaza this month.

Israel bombs the only flour store in northern Gaza

A fire has engulfed the only remaining store of flour in northern Gaza after Israel reportedly bombed a warehouse near Jabalia Camp. The flour was being used by the Shaflouh bakery, which was the only place to get bread for… pic.twitter.com/bBD7piYBRq

— Middle East Monitor (@MiddleEastMnt) October 9, 2024

As a result, no one in Gaza this month has received the more substantial WFP food parcels typically distributed. These parcels said WFP, which contain pasta, rice, oil and canned meat, are a lifeline for many families.

“If we cannot get more aid into and across Gaza, we won’t be able to deliver food parcels to more than a million Palestinians in Gaza,” Renard explained. “People have run out of ways to cope, food systems have collapsed, and the risk of famine is real.”

WFP highlighted that in southern and central Gaza, the situation is also at a breaking point due to insecurity surrounding the crossing points.

There are no food distributions, and bakeries are struggling to secure wheat flour, which puts them at risk of shutting down any day, the organisation warned, adding that as winter approaches, Gazans find themselves without adequate shelter, no fuel and very little aid.

Ongoing Genocide

Israel continues to defy a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire and has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.

Northern Gaza under Siege – Israel Issues Fresh Evacuation Orders for Three Hospitals

Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health,  42,126 Palestinians have, to date, been killed, and 98,117 wounded. Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.

Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.

Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

Forceful Displacement

The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.

“We are a big family. I queue for bread with my two granddaughters to get enough for the whole family. I would not imagine doing this in the darkest of my dreams”

🚨 With fuel & supply shortages in #Gaza, bakeries are now struggling to operate & support families like Salima's. pic.twitter.com/FtmCdn0MD1

— WFP in the Middle East & North Africa (@WFP_MENA) October 10, 2024

The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.

Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.

(The Palestine Chronicle)