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Northern Gaza in 'full-blown' famine: Senior UN official

www.euronews.com Northern Gaza in 'full-blown' famine: Senior UN official

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) director said the comprehensive famine in northern Gaza might spread south.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) director said the comprehensive famine in northern Gaza might spread south. Northern Gaza is experiencing "full-blown" famine, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) Director Cindy McCain.

"Whenever you have conflicts like this, and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens," she said during an interview with NBC aired on Saturday.

"What I can explain to you is - is that there is famine - full-blown famine - in the north."

McCain warned mass starvation was "moving its way south", where the vast majority of Gaza's population has fled fighting between Israel and Hamas.

The UN has claimed since mid-March that northern Gaza is "nearing" a state of famine, though the organisation has not yet officially stated one had begun.

Human Rights Watch recently reported that children were dying from starvation-related complications in Gaza, claiming Israel was using starvation as a "weapon of war" - a war crime under international law.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also said in March that Israel was "provoking famine" as a weapon of war.

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  • Dam that sucks

    • Yeah it's pretty scary. Once people really get into a famine you can't really fix it by just food, you need humanitarian workers to administer it.

      Even if the whole thing stopped tomorrow it will take a lot of work.

      • I heard they were close to a ceasefire and opening up a new aid corridor.

        • I really hope for an end to the hostilities and for an end to the mass starvation.

          There is still far less aid coming in than there was in peacetime, and any new aid crossing will be subject to the same border chokehold. Israel still wants to attack Rafah which is full of civilian refugees.

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