Palestinians forced to eat 'only one meal per day' due to Israeli aid blockade in Gaza

Recent data revealed that Palestinians in Gaza are now forced to eat an average of only one meal per day due to the Israeli blockade of aid into the enclave, leading to a severe food shortage.

“83% of required food aid does not make it into Gaza, up from 34% in 2023. This reduction means people in Gaza have gone from having an average of two meals a day to just one meal every other day,” a joint statement by 15 aid organisations read.

Due to the Israeli siege of the Gaza Strip, nearly half a million people are at risk of starvation, with many forced to share even minimal amounts of food.

Children are particularly affected by hunger and disease, with 50,000 requiring treatment for malnutrition.

Aid organisations have accused Israel of “systematically” preventing essential medical and food supplies from reaching the enclave.

The statement also highlighted the lack of tents for displaced civilians, noting that 60% of homes in Gaza have been destroyed by Israeli actions.

“1.87 million people are in need of shelter,” yet only 25,000 tents have been transported into the enclave since May 2024.

August 2024 saw the slowest transport of aid to Gaza, with only 69 aid trucks allowed to enter per day compared to 500 per working day in the previous year, which was sufficient to meet the needs of the displaced population.

More than 1 million Palestinians in southern and central Gaza did not receive any food rations in August.

The organisations also cited shortages of hospital beds, a lack of life-saving supplies, and the destruction of water and sanitation facilities, as well as bread mills.

“Aid, which is urgently required for 2.2 million people at risk of dying in the coming weeks and months, should never be politicised,” Jolien Veldwijk, CARE Country Director in the West Bank and Gaza said.

The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, Michael Fakhri, submitted a report to the UN General Assembly in September, detailing how the food shortage and deplorable hygienic conditions in the besieged enclave pose a serious threat to the lives of Palestinians amid the Israeli military offensive.

“Israel’s ‘starvation campaign’ in Gaza is killing more people than bombs and bullets,” the report said.

The findings of the report highlighted that the destruction of Gaza's food supply chain, agricultural land, ports, and fishing vessels completely cut off all sources of food for Palestinians.