A frantic and desperate rush for food in Gaza turned deadly on Wednesday when thousands of starving Palestinians overwhelmed a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse. This led to the deaths of four people and left several others injured. The event highlights the extreme humanitarian crisis in Gaza, made worse by an ongoing blockade and a complicated mix of aid distribution methods. While the BBC first reported two deaths, later updates from Yahoo News increased the number to four.
The chaos broke out as thousands of people stormed the Al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir Al-Balah, grabbing bags of flour and other food supplies while gunfire was heard. It is still unclear where the gunfire came from. This desperate act shows how severe the hunger crisis in Gaza has become after an 18-month war and a nearly three-month Israeli blockade. Even though the blockade has been eased recently, one in five people are now at risk of starvation.
