Around 5 people were killed and several were injured as a parachute has failed to open during a humanitarian airdrop’s parachute failed to open. The pallet in fact crashed into a group of civilians that were in fact queuing up for food north of Gaza City’s Shati refugee camp.
Last month, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs revealed that a staggering half a million people in Gaza, equivalent to one in four residents, were at risk of famine. The killings occurred amidst a famine gripping the enclave, shedding light on the challenges of delivering crucial humanitarian aid to Gaza, primarily due to Israeli restrictions. UNRWA, the main UN organization in Gaza, reported that Israeli authorities had prohibited them from transporting supplies to the northern part of the strip since January 23.
The World Food Programme disclosed that on Tuesday, the military compelled its first convoy to the north in two weeks to turn back. Security concerns had led the organization to suspend deliveries in Gaza. Consequently, various nations, including Egypt, the United States, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, resorted to airdrops to provide assistance.
Despite these efforts, relief organizations have criticized the airdrops, deeming them expensive and inefficient means of delivering essential food and medical supplies.
The UN has issued a statement wherein they have said that if no steps are taken, then a widespread famine in Gaza is almost inevitable.
Health officials are already reporting that around 30,000 people have died in five months of the conflict.
