Children in Crisis: Land Transport is Key to Ending Starvation
- yanabijoor
- Mar 21, 2024
- 2 min read
On March 10, 2024, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) announced that 33% of Palestinian children under the age of two are malnourished. Save the Children reports that families in Gaza are scavenging for leftovers to feed their children and resorting to eating leaves to survive, as the ongoing war and diminishing aid resources puts all 1.1 million children in Gaza at risk of starvation.
The UN reports that Israeli forces rejected over 50% of aid missions to areas north of Wadi Gaza, where starvation levels are highest, between January and mid-February 2024. On February 5, the UN also stated that Israeli forces shot at one of its convoys delivering food supplies in central Gaza. The use of starvation as a tactic of war is forbidden by international law, and these tactics will result in severe consequences for Palestinian children.
The United States increased the frequency of airdrops of aid in Gaza recently; however, humanitarian experts emphasize that relying solely on this aid delivery method is inadequate to meet the overwhelming needs of Palestinians. The 2.3 million individuals struggling to survive in Gaza cannot be adequately nourished and treated through airdrops alone.
Why Airdrops Are Not the Answer for Humanitarian Aid
There are better ways to get aid into a region than food airdrops. Catherine Russell of UNICEF states, “It’s not the most efficient or cost-effective way to get in aid…There is no question that road access is the best…but frankly, we’ll take anything.”
Airdrops are not as effective as land transport when providing large volumes of assistance. While a convoy of five trucks can carry up to 100 tons of lifesaving aid, recent airdrops have only delivered a few tons each. Airdrops also pose a danger to civilians, with reports of at least five people killed by falling aid packages in Gaza. Humanitarian aid requires professional teams with experience organizing distributions and providing direct assistance. Aid deliveries need a human touch to properly assess needs and restore hope and dignity to a traumatized population.
After enduring months of hardship, the people of Gaza deserve more than just minimal charity dropped from the sky. While any aid is appreciated, air and sea transportation should be seen as supplementary to land transport, not a substitute, as it cannot replace the assistance delivered by road.
Comments