Global Struggle Against Hunger: One in every eleven individuals globally experiences persistent food scarcity - Chronic Hunger Plaguing Globe: One out of every 11 individuals globally endures persistent lack of food security
**Welthungerhilfe's Aid Efforts Facing Challenges in Gaza**
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to escalate, with Welthungerhilfe and over 160 other NGOs struggling to provide aid due to the Israeli government's military-controlled aid distribution scheme.
**Key Challenges**
The Israeli government's shift to military-controlled aid distribution has reduced the number of aid distribution points from over 400 to just four, forcing civilians into overcrowded and dangerous zones. This has resulted in hundreds of deaths and injuries among those seeking food.
The Israeli blockade has severely limited the entry of essential supplies like food, clean water, medical supplies, and fuel. This has led to mass starvation and the collapse of humanitarian conditions.
Aid workers are now joining food lines, risking their lives to feed their families. The depletion of supplies has worsened the situation, with many witnessing colleagues struggling with starvation.
**Urgent Calls for Action**
Over 100 NGOs have called for international action, urging the opening of all land crossings and the restoration of aid through a UN-led mechanism. They also demand an immediate ceasefire and the end of the siege.
Welthungerhilfe has emphasized the need for humanitarian aid to be protected and for ongoing climate negotiations to address global food security issues, which are exacerbated by conflicts like the one in Gaza.
**Impact on Civilians**
The situation has led to the displacement of nearly two million Palestinians and significant casualties, with thousands injured and hundreds killed while seeking food. The World Food Programme (WFP) has highlighted that current conditions make operations untenable, underscoring the urgency for international intervention.
**Global Context**
In 2024, Welthungerhilfe provided emergency aid and promoted food production in 37 countries, reaching around 40,000 people with bread distributions in northwestern Syria every month. However, the situation in the Middle East, particularly in the Gaza Strip, received particular attention.
The climate crisis, inequality, and political instability continue to exacerbate global hunger issues. In 2023, around 733 million people worldwide suffered from hunger, with the UN's report showing setbacks in the fight against hunger. In 2023, around 9% of the world's population was undernourished, compared to 7.5% in 2019.
Welthungerhilfe's warehouses in Amman (Jordan) are full, but the war in Gaza presents challenges to Welthungerhilfe and other organizations daily. The current level of malnutrition is comparable to that of 2008, indicating a setback of around 15 years in overcoming hunger.
Despite these challenges, Welthungerhilfe supported approximately 18.7 million people with 649 international projects in 2024. The majority of Welthungerhilfe's aid in 2024 went to projects in Africa, with the Sudan in East Africa receiving the highest project funding, amounting to 60.6 million euros.
However, the massive cuts in global development cooperation, particularly in the USA, currently threaten the work of aid organizations. The UN's report did not specify any new countries or regions where Welthungerhilfe has expanded its work or increased its funding.
In conclusion, Welthungerhilfe's aid efforts in Gaza are severely hampered by the Israeli government's military-controlled aid distribution and the ongoing siege, which have turned the humanitarian crisis into a catastrophic situation. The organization continues to call for immediate access for independent aid organizations to Gaza and for the international community to take urgent action to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza.
The European Union, committed to supporting the UN's endeavors, is urging for action to combat the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly in the areas of science, health-and-wellness, and nutrition. In the context of the crisis, it is crucial to address global food security, a key issue exacerbated by conflicts, climate change, and political instability, as highlighted by Welthungerhilfe in their work across 37 countries.
