US envoy says risk of famine in Gaza ‘very high’

David Satterfield, the US special envoy for humanitarian issues, has said the risk of famine in northern Gaza remains “very high” despite an increase in the amount of aid being admitted to the territory.

“Israel has taken significant steps in these last two and a half weeks,” Reuters reports Satterfield told the media. “There is still considerable work to be done. But progress has been made.”

The UN has long complained of obstacles to getting aid in and distributing it throughout Gaza in the six months since Israel began an aerial and ground offensive in the territory.

For its part, Israel has repeatedly insisted that more aid could get in, but that it wasn’t being supplied fast enough for Israel to check it. Israel inspects all shipments entering Gaza, and has a list of prohibited items which it considers might have a dual military and civilian use.

Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa), said that a peak number of over 300 trucks was absle to enter on Monday, still well short of the 500 that Unrwa says is the target.

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