Ramallah, November 20 (RHC)-- Tens of thousands of Palestinians are at risk of starvation and deadly thirst in the northern Gaza Strip, amid Israel’s devastating siege and bombing of the area.  The situation in northern Gaza has been described as "apocalyptic" by acting UN aid chief Joyce Msuya as the regime’s military has intensified bombardment of residential areas and blocked the entry of humanitarian aid to the besieged people for more than 50 days now.

On Tuesday, the Palestinian Civil Defense said more than 70,000 people are currently at risk of starvation and deadly thirst if they survive the regime’s intense bombardment of Palestinian towns in northern Gaza.  The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) also confirmed that over 65,000 people are suffering inhumane conditions in the northern towns of the Gaza Strip.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said it had made three attempts to deploy an international medical team to Kamal Adwan and Al-Awda Hospitals in the northern Gaza Governorate, but Israeli forces have denied their entry.  The entire population of northern Gaza is "at imminent risk of dying from disease, famine and violence," officials say.  The WHO said it plans to send new missions in the coming days to deliver vital medical supplies and transport 10,000 liters of fuel.

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has urged international and UN organizations to formally declare famine in the northern Gaza Strip.

In central Gaza, Palestinian families also struggle to obtain enough food amid shortages in flour and the closure of a main bakery in the area.  A bag of flour reportedly costs as much as $107 in Gaza.

Almost all of Gaza’s roughly 2.3 million people now rely on international aid for survival.

[ SOURCE:  PRESS TV ]