UN warns of widespread hunger in Gaza without 'massive' aid flow

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Thursday warned of the dire situation in the Gaza Strip, saying that without a substantial amount of aid, hunger and desperation will rapidly spread.

"OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) warns that if aid does not begin to enter Gaza in massive quantities, desperation and hunger will spread," UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

Noting that the "closure of the Rafah crossing and limited functionality of Karem Shalom in the south have choked off the flow of life-saving supplies," he noted that the World Food Program (WFP) announced it could not distribute food in the south of Gaza.

Dujarric stressed that hospitals lack necessary fuel and medicine because of the continued closure of the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza.