UN: Ceasefire in Gaza helps avoid famine
A truce between Israel and the radical Palestinian group Hamas in the Gaza Strip has largely prevented a famine in the enclave, but the situation remains dire.
UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said in an interview with the Associated Press (AP), News.Az reports.
"I think the threat of famine has been largely averted. The level of malnutrition is lower than it was before the ceasefire," he said after a two-day visit to Israel and the Gaza Strip.
"Conditions are still terrible and people are still hungry. If the ceasefire fails, if the ceasefire breaks down, then very quickly the conditions that are conducive to famine will return," Fletcher said.
He called on Israel and Hamas to adhere to the terms of the truce. The deputy secretary general added that the Gazan population needed more food and medicine, tents and shelters, and that there was a risk of contagious diseases spreading in the enclave.
AP recalls that according to the agreement, Israel will allow 600 trucks with humanitarian aid per day. According to UN estimates, 12.6 thousand trucks have entered the enclave since the beginning of the ceasefire.
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