UN warns Gaza famine reversal will take time

GENEVA (MNTV) — The United Nations on Friday cautioned that ending famine conditions in the Gaza Strip will take time, urging all border crossings to be opened to “flood Gaza with food” and sustain aid flows into the war-torn enclave.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) reported that it has moved nearly 3,000 tons of food into Gaza since the US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took effect, marking the first sustained access in months.

“The ceasefire has opened a narrow window of opportunity,” WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa said at a press briefing in Geneva. “It’s going to take some time to scale back the famine declared in late August, but we are moving swiftly to expand food assistance.”

According to WFP, five food distribution centers are now operational — mostly in southern Gaza — with plans to increase that number to 145 in the coming weeks.

The agency has been using the Kerem Shalom and Kissufim crossings to deliver supplies, which recently included 57 trucks carrying wheat flour and nutrition aid that reached Gaza intact on Thursday.

Etefa said around 230 trucks carrying 2,800 tons of food crossed into the enclave between Saturday and Wednesday, though the volume remains below what is needed to meet demand. “We’re still below what we need, but we’re getting there,” she noted.

Nine bakeries are currently operating under WFP support, with efforts underway to reopen 30 across the Strip. “The smell of fresh bread in Gaza is more than nourishment — it’s a signal that life is returning,” Etefa said.

The WFP emphasized that accelerating aid deliveries and reopening all crossings are essential to reaching its goal of assisting 1.6 million people within three months, especially families returning to northern Gaza.