Only 12 trucks have distributed food and water in northern Gaza since October, Oxfam reported on Sunday, accusing Israel of systematic delays and obstructions amid a worsening humanitarian crisis. The aid group highlighted incidents where shelters receiving aid were shelled within hours. Ghada Al-Haddad, the organization’s media officer, spoke from Gaza about the situation in an interview.
Shelling of food trucks
Interview question: “The situation in Gaza since the start of the war on October 7th is worsening by the minute, not by the hour or day. Can you give us an idea of what the situation is like in Gaza at this moment, especially regarding food deliveries? We know that since the start of the war, thousands of tons of food and other supplies have been stuck at the Israeli border, unable to enter Gaza.”
Al-Haddad: “The situation in Gaza cannot simply be described as catastrophic; the food situation is beyond what one could describe as catastrophic. This is due to the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, constant bombings, and shelling in various areas of the Gaza Strip, as well as a lack of security and all the restrictions placed on the entry of humanitarian aid, making the humanitarian situation extremely catastrophic and fragile. As the report showed, only 12 aid trucks have successfully been distributed among starving communities in the North Gaza Governorate, which includes Jabalia, Beit Hanoun, and Beit Lahia. However, in some areas, this aid was accompanied by shelling and airstrikes. So, what is the purpose of delivering aid if, after some time, I might be killed or lose my life?”
“My little cousins already have wrinkles”
Interview question: “The situation with children in Gaza is particularly troubling, as they make up the majority of the population. We know that as time passes, there are diseases and hunger. There is also the issue of clean water in Gaza, combined with a lack of food and other humanitarian aid. What is the current situation for children in Gaza?”
Al-Haddad: “Children are part of vulnerable communities. Most of the time, children do not receive full meals or the necessary dairy products for their development. As a result, most children here lack proper meals. Due to the shortage of food supplies in the market and the lack of humanitarian aid received by families in the Gaza Strip, parents often ask their children to skip meals. Parents constantly ask their children to ration food because mothers usually say, ‘Okay, if I guarantee this meal now, I might not have the next meal.’ So they continually ask children to portion their food. Most children in Gaza have significantly lost weight. My nephews, whenever they look at their old photos, tell me, ‘We were happy then,’ and so on. Now they have wrinkles, even though they are still very young children, who expect to have full meals. But instead, we tell them we don’t have food. We might guarantee one meal now, but we might not have dinner or breakfast. This is, I think, heartbreaking because you feel these children are denied a basic right, which is food. You feel that children in the rest of the world enjoy plenty of food, while the children of Gaza are deprived of childhood – they cannot get enough food, and they sleep hungry. Sometimes, we ask the children to sleep early in the evening, sometimes to avoid asking for food. Sometimes they wake up at night, hungry, and we ask them to drink water because we don’t have meals, food, or water to fill their stomachs.”
Hunger as a weapon of war
Interview question: “How difficult is it to work as a humanitarian trying to bring aid to Gaza? You are also someone in need of this aid, for your family. You just mentioned your nephews. How hard is it today in Gaza?”
Al-Haddad: “I think it’s ironic because hunger, used as a weapon of war by Israel, has affected everyone in Gaza – elderly people, civilians, and even humanitarian workers. People who work for humanitarian agencies have also faced hunger. Civilians know what it means to be hungry, to have children asking for food while there isn’t enough. So hunger doesn’t differentiate between who is a humanitarian worker and who isn’t. Most people in Gaza have experienced what it means to be hungry, to have no food in the kitchen. This is sad because, as I said, most of the time, we see older children in the streets lining up for a loaf of bread. We see older children in the streets searching for food. And again, it’s heartbreaking because those children deserve their basic rights, but they can’t have them. This can only be resolved with a complete ceasefire, with uninterrupted access to aid in the Gaza Strip. A complete ceasefire is necessary because what is the purpose of delivering aid if you can’t secure it without ensuring safety?”
“We’re not sure if we’ll make it through the day”
Interview question: “The health situation in Gaza is also concerning. We know that most hospitals are not operational and are constantly under attack. What is the situation like in this regard at the moment?”
Al-Haddad: “The health situation in Gaza, and the general healthcare situation, has worsened since the start of the war. Most hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed with injuries. Two months ago, I was at the hospital with my mother, who had suffered a bladder fracture. The hospital and the room where she was admitted were overcrowded with injuries. Most of the time, you see complicated surgeries being performed, and there is also a shortage of medicines. If you need a specific medication, you have to go through all the pharmacies in Gaza to find it. And even if you secure it for one week, you might not find it the next week. The doctor or pharmacist will then give you alternative medications. This is yet another layer of deprivation brought by this war. Israel has imposed restrictions even on the entry of medicines into the Gaza Strip, creating even more fragile and catastrophic conditions. I can’t imagine living in 2024 without enough food or medicine. Most of the time, we are exhausted – exhausted from living this kind of life. All of this adds to the deprivation. There’s a war ongoing, constant shelling, and airstrikes happening all day and night. We’re not sure if we’ll make it to tomorrow. We’re not sure if we’ll make it, I mean, through the day.”
