‘Catastrophic’ conditions in Gaza as Israeli blockade enters third month, aid group says

Laura Barron-Lopez:

The Israeli blockade of Gaza is now in its third month since early March no food, water, shelter or medication has been allowed into the embattled territory. And aid groups on the ground warn of a worsening humanitarian crisis. Earlier today, I spoke with Ghada Alhaddad, who works for Oxfam inside Gaza, and asked her about the latest conditions on the ground.

Ghada Alhaddad, Oxfam:

The conditions in Gaza is getting more catastrophic than before. We are now seeing children are starving, hospital and health facilities are collapsing, families are wiped out due to Israeli airstrikes and Bombardment. Now, since March 2, Israel has blocked aid flow into the Gaza Strip. This closure of the borders, in addition to the resumptions of the war since March 18, have been worsened the conditions and have worsened the humanitarian conditions that we live through and experience on daily paces. I mean, it's getting worse and worse, and it is getting more catastrophic every now and then.

Laura Barron-Lopez:

You say that it's getting worse and worse. Are you seeing more cases of malnutrition and disease?

Ghada Alhaddad:

Many people that I've met told me that their children are experiencing acute malnutrition. Many mothers, including the mothers in my family, they told me that their children are getting dizzy because they do not have the sufficient food, the sufficient nutrition that these children wanted. Most mothers try to ration the food meals for their children.

Imagine like a child wanted to eat, wanted to have a full meal, and he or she cannot get it, not because their parents do not want to give it to him or her, but because they do not have it in their kitchens. They do not have it in their tents. So children and other vulnerable communities are the ones who bear the brunt of such starvation, who bear the brunt of the total siege.

I see lots of children who lose like a significant amount of weight because they have nothing to eat. I met a woman, she told me her children ask her for egg and she couldn't find it in the market because simply it's not there. It's not available in the market. So essential item like milk, like egg, beef and fish are unavailable in the market. And vegetables and the fruits also disappeared from the market.

Laura Barron-Lopez:

With the blockade now in its third month, do you have enough food and supplies?

Ghada Alhaddad:

We at Oxfam distributed the last food parcels on the 20th of April, and that was the last, last food parcel that we had at our stores. And since then we didn't distribute any food. But this blockade, it's also impacting water sector and it is impacting other, I mean, sectors in the Gaza Strip.

Fuel didn't enter the Gaza Strip and we use the fuel for the desalination units, for pumping the water and delivering them for the communities. And we are using now the last drops of the fuel. And if this is going to end, it means that we are going to also deprive people of the water.

Laura Barron-Lopez:

Do you know when Oxfam may be able to have food parcels again to distribute to the community?

Ghada Alhaddad:

We have actually purchased food parcels and they are ready to be delivered to the Gaza Strip. They are ready in our warehouses in neighboring countries. Once the siege is lifted, once the borders are opened and Israel opens the border, we are ready. And I think this is not the case for Oxfam, but it's also for all the humanitarian actors and organizations in Gaza.

We are not like, doing our jobs because Israel is putting more and more constraints in front of us and putting more constraints that hamper our like or our intention for reaching and approaching the people in need.

Laura Barron-Lopez:

Ghada, I appreciate you talking to us. Thank you so much.