‘Famine in Gaza entirely driven by Israel’s blockade on Gaza,’ says UK’s Oxfam official

The famine in Gaza is being "entirely driven" by Israel’s near-total blockade on food and vital aid, as well as the "horrifying consequence" of Israel’s violence, and its "use of starvation as a weapon of war”, according to the policy lead of British non-governmental organisation, Oxfam.

Helen Stawski's statement comes in reaction to the integrated Food Security Classification (IPC) report published on Friday confirming a famine in Gaza Governorate, which is predicted to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.

Oxfam’s policy lead said: “Despite warnings in July that famine was imminent, Israel has continued to deprive Palestinians of food, denying almost every request from long-established humanitarian agencies, preventing them from delivering vital food and aid that could have stemmed hunger, malnutrition and disease."

Stawski added: “Oxfam alone has more than $2.5m worth of life-saving aid, including high-calorie food packages, now sitting in warehouses outside Gaza. Israeli authorities have rejected it all, at a time when it is needed more than ever."