WFP to halt food distribution in Rafah due to lack of supplies

United Nations, May 16 (RHC) The World Food Program (WFP) announced Thursday a pause in its activity in Rafah from next Saturday due to the lack of reserves to meet that region of Gaza that remains under Israeli siege.

According to the entity, operations will continue in other neighboring cities such as Khan Yunis and Deir el-Balah, although with limited capacity.

Since the start of the Israeli offensive in Rafah at the beginning of May, the UN agency warned about the lack of food and fuel to meet the needs of the population trapped in the southernmost tip of the Strip.

The area was the epicenter of humanitarian aid, hosting the border crossing with Egypt and sheltering half of Gaza's population fleeing other areas of the conflict.

However, by the middle of this week, close to 600,000 Palestinians had already left the governorate amid uncertainty and reports of ground incursions and heavy fighting also to the north.

Health services have barely eight functioning field hospitals, while needs are considered overwhelming as new evacuation orders are issued and military operations intensified. “Since May 6, we have been unable to access or receive aid at the Kerem Shalom border crossing,” WFP said as it deemed the situation untenable.

For its part, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned of irregularities in the entry of supplies through crossings in southern Gaza that have been closed, are unsafe to access or are logistically unfeasible.

According to OCHA, distribution is nearly impossible without regular fuel imports while telecommunications are unstable and fighting continues.