As thousands flee Rafah, UN aid group warns food and fuel supplies critically low

[Source for Rafah Critical need: What Israel’s assault on Rafah means for the 1.3 million Palestinians sheltering there | PBS NewsHour]

[KARAH RUCKER]

THE U-N’S WORLD FOOD PROGRAM SAYS IT WILL RUN OUT OF FOOD AND FUEL WITHIN DAYS, IF MORE AID DOESN’T COME SOON.

VIDEO SHOWS SOME WAREHOUSES IN RAFAH PRACTICALLY EMPTY, WHERE NEARBY FIGHTING IS PREVENTING THE DELIVERY OF AID AND FUEL. RAFAH IS CRITICAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AID OPERATIONS. MOST INTERNATIONAL AID ORGANIZATIONS OPERATE OUT OF THE CITY AND MOST OF THE SUPPLIES ENTER THROUGH RAFAH.

UNICEF WARNS THIS COULD LEAD TO MORE GAZANS DYING OF HUNGER. 

A SPOKESPERSON SAID:

FOR FIVE DAYS, NO FUEL AND VIRTUALLY NO HUMANITARIAN AID ENTERED THE GAZA STRIP, AND WE ARE SCRAPING THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL.

HOSPITALS WARNED BUILDINGS AND AMBULANCES ARE CRITICALLY LOW ON FUEL

IN RESPONSE, ISRAEL’S DEFENSE MINISTRY ANNOUNCED 200-THOUSAND LITERS OF FUEL WERE DELIVERED TO GAZA FOR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS FRIDAY.

THE FUEL WILL BE USED FOR GENERATORS FOR HOSPITALS, LOGISTICAL CENTERS AND TRUCKS DELIVERING AID. 

FUEL HAS BEEN HARD TO COME BY SINCE ISRAEL CAPTURED THE GAZA SIDE OF THE RAFAH CROSSING WITH EGYPT, THE MAIN POINT OF ENTRY FOR FUEL AND SUPPLY DELIVERY.

FIGHTING BETWEEN ISRAELI TROOPS AND PALESTINIAN MILITANTS ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF RAFAH LEFT THE CROSSING INACCESSIBLE FOR AID DELIVERIES AND MEDICAL EVACUATIONS.

THE U-N SAID SOME SUPPLIES WERE ALREADY GONE FROM THE DESTRUCTION OF WAREHOUSES AND LOOTING.

ISRAEL HAS REPEATEDLY ACCUSED HAMAS OF STEALING AID MEANT FOR THE PEOPLE OF GAZA SINCE THE ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR BEGAN.

LAST WEEK, THE TERROR GROUP REPORTEDLY HIJACKED AN AID SHIPMENT FROM JORDAN. THE U-S STATE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS THE “FIRST WIDESPREAD CASE OF HIJACKING SEEN” IN GAZA, ADDING THAT THE GOODS WERE RECOVERED WHEN HAMAS FINALLY LET THE AID TRUCKS MOVE ON.

PRO-ISRAEL PROTESTERS HAVE ALSO ATTEMPTED TO BLOCK AID SHIPMENTS TO GAZA.

CLAIMING THE AID IS GOING TO HAMAS.

[JONATHAN GODELES]

THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL AND THE INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT WANT TO GIVE A LOT OF SUPPLIES TO THE MURDERERS TO KEEP THEM FIGHTING. THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE IN THE WORLD THAT ONE SIDE GIVES THE SUPPLY TO THE OTHER SIDE, IT’S CRAZY, IT’S NUTS.”

[KARAH RUCKER]

THE U-N SAYS NEARBY BATTLES HAVE CAUSED MORE THAN 100-THOUSAND PEOPLE TO FLEE PARTS OF RAFAH.

THE AGENCY SAYS IT HAS NO TENTS, BLANKETS OR BEDDING FOR THOSE FLEEING.

AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, MORE AID IS ON THE WAY– FROM A SHIP BOUND FOR A NEW U-S BUILT PIER IN GAZA.

MEANWHILE, THE U-N SAYS, “FULL-BLOWN FAMINE” IS UNDERWAY IN PARTS OF GAZA.

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