Humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza: “The apocalypse is here”
Employees on the ground describe the catastrophic situation in the Gaza strip in telephone calls
Bonn/Berlin, October 24, 2024. The humanitarian situation in Gaza is getting worse every day. Despite the omnipresent hunger and the plight of the people, too few relief supplies continue to reach the completely sealed-off area of just a few square kilometers. 91 percent of the population is experiencing a severe food crisis. The work of international organizations is extremely difficult due to restrictions and delays. Employees on the ground describe the catastrophic situation in the Gaza strip in telephone calls.
“They are deeply shocked by the extent of the suffering. People are rammed into the limited space between the sea and completely destroyed buildings. Drones fly over the area all the time, there are airstrikes and gunfire during day and night. The displaced people live in cramped condition in the remaining so called “humanitarian zone” where the majority of the population is sheltering. The sheer struggle for survival is also evident in the fact that people are desperately seeking to cover their daily survival needs, and the aid transports are denied and repeatedly attacked. Apocalyptic conditions prevail. The fact that the basic humanitarian standards are being violated on a daily basis in Gaza and that there is no unhindered safe access to the affected population is completely unacceptable. More access to the affected areas, especially to the north, are needed,” says Mathias Mogge, CEO of Welthungerhilfe, quoting eyewitness reports from employees.
In their work, Welthungerhilfe and its partners strictly adhere to the humanitarian principles of neutrality, humanity, impartiality and independence. Welthungerhilfe condemns the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, 2023 in the strongest possible terms and demands the immediate release of all remaining hostages. At the same time, it stresses that all parties to the conflict comply with international humanitarian law, an immediate and lasting ceasefire, the protection of the civilian population and humanitarian aid workers, as well as safe and unhindered access to the required aid supplies by the fastest possible means.
Together with our European partner CESVI and the national organization Juzoor, we are supporting more than 50,000 people in the most affected areas. Through targeted distributions of essential food items, special food for malnourished children, and water, sanitation and hygiene, displaced people, who often seek refuge in temporary shelters and community centres, are provided with the bare necessities to survive.There is a particular focus on children, pregnant and breastfeeding women and the elderly, who are at high risk of malnutrition due to the poor supply conditions.
Welthungerhilfe is one of the largest private aid organizations in Germany; it is politically independent and non-denominational. With courage and determination, it is striving for a world without hunger. Since it was founded on December 14, 1962, 12,128 overseas projects in about 72 countries have been supported with 5.07 billion euros. Welthungerhilfe follows the principle of empowering people to help themselves to sustainably improve their living conditions, through approaches ranging from fast disaster relief to reconstruction and long-term development cooperation projects with national and international partner organizations.
