Seventy-eight percent of the population of the Gaza Strip sufferers from severe or moderate food insecurity as a result of economic and political crises in the Gaza Strip, the Palestinian NGO Network said on Thursday.
A statement issued by the network that the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip 12 years ago and the internal Palestinian division, in addition to the ongoing military confrontations between the Israeli and the Palestinian factions, one of the most important reasons that led to the aggravation of living conditions.
The population is suffering from extreme poverty and limited economic capacity to secure food, he said, noting that more than 1 million people live below the poverty line while the unemployment rate is 52 per cent, more than 70 per cent among young people.
More than 70 per cent of Palestinian households in the Gaza Strip are reducing the number of meals to cope with food shortages or resources.
He pointed out that the Israeli siege led to the transformation of the productive groups into vulnerable groups in need of humanitarian assistance. As the blockade continues, and the entry of raw materials, exports and energy shortages are prevented, all groups of society suffer from the difficulty of securing food for their family members.
The statement warned of the violation of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people, especially the right to food, which is enshrined in Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
He called on all parties concerned to shoulder their responsibilities, protect the economic and social rights of the Palestinian people, ensure food security for the people of Gaza and provide emergency humanitarian assistance and assistance as soon as possible.
He also called for funding for the implementation of humanitarian and development programs and for ending the occupation and lifting the Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
