"Acute" situation in the north

Every 3rd infant in the Gaza Strip malnourished

Almost one in three infants in the north of the Gaza Strip is acutely malnourished.(Bild: AFP)

Following the terrorist attacks by Hamas in Israel last October and the war in Gaza, people are in the midst of a humanitarian catastrophe. The supply situation is dramatic. There is a lack of clean water and food, medical products and medicines. Almost one in three infants in the north of the Gaza Strip is acutely malnourished.

The ongoing war in Gaza has led to a worrying situation in Gaza: "Almost one in three young children in northern Gaza is acutely malnourished. Especially for children, the lack of important nutrients has devastating effects on their mental and physical development," warns Diakonie Director Maria Katharina Moser.

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: AFP)

(Bild: KameraOne)

(Bild: AFP)

Aid supplies backed up behind border crossing
According to the Israeli authorities, the contents of around 600 trucks of aid have piled up in the Gaza Strip over the past week. In recent days, the volume of aid deliveries to the sealed-off coastal strip via the Kerem Shalom and Nitzana border crossings has increased considerably.

However, the collection and distribution of aid by UN organizations has been slow, so that Israel cannot deliver any more aid.

James McGoldrick, UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Jerusalem, told the US broadcaster CNN that there were numerous logistical complications and it was taking time to resolve them. In addition, the restrictions imposed by Israel on freedom of movement within the Gaza Strip made things more complicated.

Trucks stopped
Although many trucks arrive from Israel, these trucks cannot automatically drive into the Gaza Strip. Loads first have to be unloaded and sorted according to water, food and medical items, for example. Then trucks would be loaded again and then they could drive to Gaza.