As bombs continue to fall daily on Gaza, a new threat emerges: hunger

Video report by ITV News' Senior International Correspondent Johnny Irvine, words by Foreign Affairs Producer Natalie Wright

The bombs continue to fall daily on Gaza but now, more than a hundred days into the war, a very real threat is developing, particularly among the young. Extreme hunger.

The United Nations (UN) launched a fresh appeal this week begging for greater quantities of aid to be delivered to the territory.

In a rare joint appeal, the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) claimed that Israel is making it too difficult to bring in food to those who so desperately need it.

They have demanded immediate action in four areas:

  • The opening of new entry routes for aid (particularly in the north of Gaza)

  • A greater number of trucks to be allowed through each day

  • Fewer restrictions regarding the movement of humanitarian workers

  • A guarantee of safety to those accessing and distributing aid

Before the war began five hundred trucks would enter every day. On Wednesday, this figure was just 98.

Another charity, Action Aid, said today that confusing and arbitrary rules surrounding what is allowed to be brought into Gaza is causing huge backlogs and delays.

They say that fruits such as peaches, apricots and plums are being refused because the stones may be used as bullets.

Palestinians line up for a free meal in Rafah, Gaza Strip. Credit: AP

ITV News spoke to a family in Rafah, southern Gaza, where they are living in tents.

Every day, 14-year-old Ahmad Sweidan goes to collect food hand outs for his family. He said that they don’t have breakfast and the food they do receive is never enough to fill them up.

His grandmother is thankful for Ahmed’s daily attempts but is heartbroken at the malnourishment all the children are suffering from.

She says the total lack of fresh fruit, vegetables and meat is making them lethargic and stopping them from playing as children should be.

In the same camp, 10-year-old Ali Abu Asser tells us it’s humiliating having to come for food handouts every day.

Today, it’s a thin soup on offer, and there’s not even enough of that to go around.

In a time of incredible uncertainty for the lives and futures of the people of Gaza the additional anxiety of where the next meal will come from is yet more anguish on their very empty plates.

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