The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire. The United States continues working relentlessly to surge assistance through all available means to address the impacts of this crisis.
The entire population of Gaza – around 2.2 million people – is facing acute food insecurity, meaning they require food assistance, and the threat of famine is looming, said USAID Response Director Dan Dieckhaus in a recent briefing.
“More than half of the population in northern Gaza is facing catastrophic levels of food insecurity, and nearly 30 percent of the children there are severely malnourished. In the south, in southern Gaza, nearly a quarter of the population is facing this type of food insecurity.”
The dire situation in Gaza is further complicated by Israeli forces going into Rafah, which has forced approximately 640,000 people to flee since May 6th, said Mr. Dieckhaus. Humanitarian actors are facing significant challenges getting aid into Rafah given the closure of critical border crossings as well as accessing warehouses and distributing aid due to the deteriorating situation.
International efforts are under way to increase the flow of humanitarian aid to the people of Gaza through all available routes, including by land, by air, and now by sea, said Vice Admiral Brad Cooper in a briefing:
“To date, the United States along with over a dozen partners has executed more than 38 humanitarian airdrop missions. These missions have focused on dropping humanitarian assistance from the air, predominantly into north Gaza. With our partners, we have cumulatively provided more than 3 million meals into Gaza by airdrops, more than 1 million of which have been from the United States.”
USAID is coordinating with the Department of Defense to establish a maritime corridor to augment ongoing efforts to scale the delivery of humanitarian aid by land, explained Mr. Dieckhaus:
“This maritime corridor includes the construction of a temporary pier ... in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Gaza and directly into Gaza to assist humanitarian organizations to receive and deliver lifesaving assistance in an independent, neutral, and impartial manner.”
“We continue working to ensure lifesaving assistance reaches civilians in need through all avenues,” said Response Director Dieckhaus, “and we will continue to do everything we can to save lives and alleviate the suffering of those in greatest need.”
