Fifteen countries issued a joint statement on Wednesday urging Israel to do more to enable and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
The statement was issued by the United Nations missions of the Dominican Republic, Estonia, France, Germany, Guyana, Ireland, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.
“It is unacceptable that man-made and avoidable conflict-induced hunger continues to afflict civilians in Gaza. The prolonged suffering will have irreversible consequences that will last generations,” the statement said.
It referenced a May report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a U.N.-affiliated food insecurity assessment agency. The IPC has repeatedly issued famine projections for Gaza during the Israel-Hamas war, only to revise them downward in subsequent updates.
The IPC was also criticized by its own review committee for relying on incomplete and misleading data, which led to inaccurate famine projections early in the conflict.
“From the May IPC Special Snapshot, we know that the Gaza Strip is facing a critical risk of famine,” according to Wednesday’s statement. “The entire population is facing high levels of acute food insecurity, with 500,000 people facing starvation and more than 70,000 children set to require treatment for acute malnutrition.”
The countries accused Israel of “sustained denial of essential humanitarian assistance to civilians” and called on all parties to comply with international law, as well as to “ensure accountability for those who deliberately cause or prolong conflict-induced hunger in violation of international law.”
The statement also expressed support for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which has played a leading role in the humanitarian aid project.
On Wednesday, Israel announced measures against OCHA, including visa denials and staff restrictions, citing the agency’s leadership for repeatedly disseminating false and misleading claims about the entry of humanitarian aid.
