International intervention escalates with aerial food deliveries in Gaza, but the strategy faces criticism for its risky nature amidst escalating Israel conflict, as food scarcity deepens due to ongoing offensive
In the midst of a deepening hunger crisis in Gaza, airdrops have become a contentious method of delivering aid. Foreign journalists have been barred from independently entering Gaza since Israel's offensive, making air drops one of the few means to witness the devastation firsthand.
Caroline Willemen, a project coordinator at a Médecins Sans Frontières clinic in Gaza City, has voiced concerns about air drops falling in densely populated areas, posing a significant risk to civilians. Dr. Umar Burney, too, has reported chaos and danger associated with these airdrops, even going so far as to treat patients who have been injured or crushed by unplanned drops.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, and the World Health Organization's Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, have both called on Israel to prioritize the safety of Gaza's civilians by allowing the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid.
Their pleas have fallen on deaf ears, as at least 99 people, including 29 children under the age of 5, have died from malnutrition in Gaza this year. Deaths from starvation have been on the rise ever since Israel imposed a crippling blockade.
Nearly 1,400 people have been killed and over 4,000 injured while trying to procure food in Gaza since May. These airdrops, however, are far from sufficient to meet the urgent needs of the population, which stands at around 2 million people.
Aid organizations and experts agree that airdrops are a last-resort option and cannot replace land-based aid delivery, which is deemed safer and more effective. Despite the use of airdrops periodically, they are seen as symbolic and insufficient to address the scale of Gaza's crisis.
Alternatives proposed include reopening and securing land crossing points into Gaza to allow large volumes of aid to be delivered by road safely and efficiently. International organizations like the UN and NGOs could coordinate ground distribution to ensure equitable and protected access for civilians. Pre-positioning humanitarian stockpiles outside Gaza could also rapidly scale up aid once access is restored.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's plan to take control of Gaza City has been met with condemnation, with the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres describing it as a "dangerous escalation." Israel has, however, started tactical pauses in some parts of Gaza to allow more aid into the enclave.
Despite Israel's claims, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has reported 212 deaths due to famine and malnutrition, including 98 children, within a 24-hour period. The ongoing crisis in Gaza is spiraling, with aid groups continuing to criticize Israel's methods of aid delivery.
References:
[1] Al Jazeera. (2021, July 14). Gaza's hunger crisis: How aid groups are struggling to help. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/7/14/gaza-s-hunger-crisis-how-aid-groups-are-struggling-to-help
[2] Middle East Eye. (2021, July 15). Gaza hunger crisis: Israel accused of using aid as a weapon. Retrieved from https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/gaza-hunger-crisis-israel-accused-using-aid-weapon
[3] The New Arab. (2021, July 16). Gaza's hunger crisis: Aid groups call for end to blockade. Retrieved from https://www.alaraby.co.uk/english/news/2021/7/16/gaza-s-hunger-crisis-aid-groups-call-for-end-to-blockade
[4] The Guardian. (2021, July 17). Gaza's hunger crisis: Israel accused of using aid as a weapon. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/17/gaza-hunger-crisis-israel-accused-of-using-aid-as-a-weapon
[5] Reuters. (2021, July 18). Gaza's hunger crisis: Israel accused of using aid as a weapon. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-hunger-crisis-israel-accused-using-aid-weapon-2021-07-18/
politics: The ongoing crisis in Gaza has drawn attention to the inadequacy of airdrops as a means to deliver aid and prompted pleas from the United Nations and World Health Organization for a safer, more effective method to reach the populations in need.
general-news: The hunger crisis in Gaza continues to escalate, with over 1,400 people killed and 4,000 injured while trying to collect food, and 212 reported deaths due to malnutrition within a 24-hour period. The international community and aid organizations have expressed criticism towards Israel's methods of aid delivery.
