By Olivia Le Poidevin
GENEVA (Reuters) -More food supplies are getting into Gaza since the October ceasefire but are still falling short of huge humanitarian needs as winter rains risk spoiling delivered foodstuffs, the U.N. World Food Programme said on Friday.
“Things are better than before the ceasefire, but we have a long way to go. Sustained support is an important endeavour to help families rebuild their health, their nutrition and their lives,” WFP spokesperson Martin Penner told reporters in Geneva via video link from the Gaza Strip.
Hundreds of thousands of people remain in urgent need of food assistance, according to the WFP. In August a global food monitor said at least half a million people were experiencing famine in parts of the coastal enclave.
Earlier this week, Gaza was hit by heavy rain that spoiled and washed away some food supplies that residents had been storing, senior WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa said. It was a sign of the challenges for families as winter sets in, she added.
Since a fragile Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect on October 10 after two years of war that demolished much of the highly urbanised territory and caused a humanitarian disaster, the WFP has brought 40,000 tons of food aid into Gaza.
But it has met only 30% of its target for food parcels – reaching around 530,000 out of 1.6 million people, due to logistical issues getting supplies into the enclave earlier this month. However, it said it is now starting to catch up.
Though Gaza’s markets are reviving, food prices remain high for Palestinians, many of whom lost their income during the war, with a chicken costing $25, meaning many are reliant on food aid, the WFP said.
It said a woman had told the WFP in Khan Younis that she did not take her children to the market so they would not see all the food that’s available, but unaffordable.
“If they go near the market, she tells them to cover their eyes,” Penner stated.
(Reporting by Olivia Le Poidevin; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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