USAID Administrator Samantha Power has publicly confirmed that famine is already occurring in Gaza, marking a significant acknowledgment from the United States regarding the severity of the humanitarian crisis in the region. This confirmation came during a congressional hearing where House Democrat Joaquin Castro questioned Power, highlighting reports of the dire situation. The crisis has been attributed to a combination of factors, including Israel's blockade and military operations amid its conflict with Hamas, leading to widespread starvation, particularly in northern Gaza, where people are surviving on an average of 245 calories a day. Despite international pressure and promises from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to open additional border crossings, including the Ashdod port, to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid, reports indicate that aid flow remains significantly obstructed. NGOs and humanitarian organizations are struggling to increase aid delivery amidst these challenges. The situation is described as a human-made crisis, with the destruction of granaries, markets, and arable land exacerbating the food shortages.
Gaza: With famine looming, long delays at security checkpoints continue to hamper the delivery of aid. Humanitarians remain committed to reaching people in desperate need, but senior @UNOCHA official warns the situation remains dire. https://t.co/3eYJiRGnc1
Gazans are facing a hunger crisis that the UN says borders on famine. The crisis is entirely human-made, aid experts say, with food shortages that have been created by Israel’s blockade and military operations amid its war on Hamas. Here's what to know. https://t.co/ZkkdwwXCg2
Northern Gaza has now entered a period of famine. It is vital that more humanitarian aid is allowed to safely enter the region for those in desperate need. https://t.co/l4dYikndPi
ISRAEL-GAZA LATEST: The World Health Organization described the destruction in Khan Younis as "disproportionate to anything one can imagine." https://t.co/AyqphKtBkU
On Wednesday, Samantha Power, head of USAID, became the first top Biden administration official to publicly acknowledge that famine is present in northern Gaza. She was questioned by House Democrat Joaquin Castro during a congressional hearing. https://t.co/lcoIJ0Sb3m
"A promised surge in aid into Gaza that Benjamin Netanyahu promised Joe Biden a week ago has so far failed to materialize, aid workers say, as the US aid chief confirmed that famine is beginning to take hold in parts of the besieged coastal strip." https://t.co/QCigCNiILd
"One of Netanyahu’s pledges to Biden, to open the Ashdod port north of Gaza as a portal to sea-borne humanitarian aid, has led to no apparent action, according to the Israel N12 channel." https://t.co/QCigCNiILd
While Israel says it has dramatically increased the number of aid trucks entering the territory, U.N. workers report only a slight uptick — possibly because they count trucks differently: https://t.co/mUkhC60jmT
Biden Admin Tells Congress Famine Is Underway In Gaza For First Time https://t.co/yVN6dJ1Qcc
US aid official has said that famine has begun in northern Gaza. Airdrops of humanitarian aid for civilians in Gaza has been of little help #Gaza #Israel #Famine https://t.co/7PvjCOeMuv
Aid ‘still not reaching Gaza’, as top US official warns famine has started https://t.co/e03P7oue1d
U.S. Official Admits All of Gaza May Face “Imminent Risk of Starvation” https://t.co/hmtOIHkluL
Top Government Official Says U.S. Acknowledges Famine In Gaza https://t.co/FvxxkTc0hQ
Since Biden warned Israel to address civilian suffering in Gaza — spurred by Israel’s killing of several World Central Kitchen humanitarian workers — Israel touted a record number of aid trucks. But the U.N. and other aid officials say little has changed. https://t.co/XFq6KxB8MV
Under heavy U.S. pressure, Israel has promised to ramp up aid to Gaza dramatically, but days later, there are few signs of those promises materializing and international officials say starvation is widespread in hard-hit northern Gaza. https://t.co/arnNgRHYGt
The U.N. says Israel is still not letting in enough aid trucks as Samantha Power says famine has already arrived in northern Gaza. https://t.co/bercvP23gX
Israel has still not done enough to resolve the hunger crisis in Gaza and famine could be imminent, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday. ✍️@tovahlazaroff https://t.co/knvs77CHmz
Israel has still not done enough to resolve the hunger crisis in Gaza and famine could be imminent, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday. https://t.co/knvs77Dfc7
.@WHO and partners went to Khan Younis yesterday to assess the health facilities there. The team described the destruction as "disproportionate to anything one can imagine". No building or road is intact, there is only rubble and dirt. Hostilities in the vicinity of a WHO… https://t.co/AbqmEabx6Z
Israel has still not done enough to resolve the hunger crisis in Gaza and famine could be imminent, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters in Washington on Thursday. https://t.co/knvs77CHmz
A border crossing from Israel into northern Gaza remains closed a week after Israel promised to open it for deliveries of aid, as a top US official warned that famine has begun ⬇️ @mollyblackall and @KieronMonks report https://t.co/h3aovvopCs
Samantha Powers acknowledging that Northern Gaza is likely already facing famine. https://t.co/dyJtgIaWwj
U.S. Envoy Admits All of Gaza May Face “Imminent Risk of Starvation” https://t.co/hmtOIHkluL
Famine Hits Gaza, says US official https://t.co/IlLrhSycEU
Famine may already have arrived in northern Gaza, but despite Netanyahu's promise to Biden, "there has been no apparent work done yet on increasing aid to Gaza by opening an additional border crossing from Israel" into northern Gaza. #SlowWalkingDeath https://t.co/NNxgvNFl8C
A senior Biden official said that famine is underway in the Gaza Strip as Israel presses forward with its war against the militant group Hamas. Humanitarian aid groups have been warning for weeks that a famine is looming in Gaza. https://t.co/MKaXUO0EJF
NYT cites @AkbarSAhmed's scoop abt US officials' assessment warning famine is underway/ongoing in Gaza. Samantha Powers, head of USAID, now publicly agrees w/ that assessment. Also said US found no evidence Hamas is seizing food aid, as Israel claims https://t.co/CwX9l876VX
In northern Gaza, "a few hundred thousand people are surviving on an average of 245 calories a day, according to Oxfam," yet Israel is slow-walking its promise to open a border crossing directly into northern Gaza to deliver food. https://t.co/NNxgvNFl8C
NGOs are desperately trying to increase the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza, but significant challenges remain. @connor_echols reports: https://t.co/wpOTChaKFP
USAID chief Samantha Power says famine has already arrived in northern Gaza, yet Israel is slow-walking the opening of a border crossing directly into northern Gaza, despite Netanyahu's promise to Biden. https://t.co/NJ8PZcJRh4
Samantha Power, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, told lawmakers that the destruction of granaries, markets and arable land, plus insufficient aid trucks entering Gaza, left it in a food crisis. Follow for live updates. https://t.co/JAIYEixoV3
#Israel to open new north #Gaza crossing for overseas aid Track updates https://t.co/7Vexeaq8FN https://t.co/TKZmBv0JnM
Power refers to “humanitarian access challenges” in the north of Gaza that contribute to what she acknowledges is the catastrophic starvation of children. Oh, you mean the massacres of aid workers and masses of hungry people with weapons sent by your administration? https://t.co/2BfDWmuHx1
‘It’s an established fact’: US envoy says most Gazans at risk of imminent famine https://t.co/TkGbXwpMnn
Akbar had the story a week ago that Israel’s siege is causing a famine in Gaza, per USAID officials, & only now is the Biden admin acknowledging that is in fact their assessment https://t.co/oM8OD5GD5k
Rep: Castro: So famine is already occurring there (in Gaza)? USAID Administrator Samantha Power: Yes. More later... Rep: Castro: Kids can't be starved because there are two groups at war with each other ... USAID Administrator Power: Food must flow. Food has not flowed in… https://t.co/xclO88B2wO
NEW: Citing my scoop on USAID officials privately telling Biden admin colleagues famine is already underway in Gaza, @JoaquinCastrotx got @SamanthaJPower to confirm that is her assessment (from 2:48:50 on). Major confirmation from the US. https://t.co/CGxvf8wWxi
USAID head Samantha Power said that, according to many aid workers that she met in Israel last month, Gaza was the worst humanitarian catastrophe that they had experienced in their careers. “Unprecedented was the word they used,” she said. https://t.co/3xoGNlSFJ8