Northern Gaza still heading toward famine: Deputy WFP chief
UN World Food Programme (WFP) Deputy Executive Director Carl Skau says that the north of Gaza is heading towards a famine, and the organisation has not seen evidence of a “paradigm shift that is needed to avert a famine“.
“We need more volume, predictability, and a sustained effort to get more diverse assistance into the north [of the Gaza Strip],” he said.
He also expressed the WFP’s “grave concern” over the prospect of an Israeli military operation in Rafah.
The organisation is looking at how a maritime corridor can meaningfully contribute to overall aid assistance, Skau said, but added that there is no substitute for aid delivery by land, and that is where the focus should remain.
‘Clean water remains scarce in Rafah’: UNRWA
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) says there is a lack of sufficient clean water and waste disposal in Rafah. In a post on X, it said that hot temperatures in conjunction with these shortages have “sparked new fears of disease outbreaks”.
Gaza Civil Defence issues heat warning to displaced Palestinians
As temperatures soar in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian Civil Defence has warned that conditions are ripe for “the expansion of the spread of epidemics and diseases among [displaced Palestinians], especially among children and pregnant women”.
“Drink plenty of water, try to ventilate the place, keep children away from the sun’s rays, especially at peak heat times, and be sure to wipe their bodies with cold water constantly”, spokesperson Mahmoud Basal said in a statement on Telegram, speaking to the thousands of displaced Palestinians currently sheltering in tents.
Drink plenty of water? Pick your poison, dehydration and heat stroke or risk getting sick from contaminated water.
