Reversing Gaza famine to ‘take some time’: UN

GENEVA

The United Nations cautioned on Oct. 17 that it would take time to reverse the famine in the Gaza Strip, saying all crossings needed to be opened to "flood Gaza with food.”

The U.N.'s World Food Programmed said it had been able to move close to 3,000 tons of food supplies into the war-shattered Palestinian territory since the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas took hold.

"It's going to take some time to scale back the famine" declared by the U.N. in late August, WFP spokeswoman Abeer Etefa told a media briefing in Geneva.

"The ceasefire has opened a narrow window of opportunity. WFP is moving very quickly and swiftly to scale up food assistance and reach families who have endured months of blockade, displacement and hunger."

Etefa said WFP had five food distribution points up and running across the Gaza Strip, mostly in the south, but wanted to get to 145.

"We're still below what we need but we're getting there," she said.

Turkish team awaiting approval

The peace plan in Gaza on Oct. 17 stalled due to disputes over the hostages' bodies, the obstruction of aid deliveries and debates surrounding Hamas' rearmament.

Hamas said it was committed to the agreement and to returning all the bodies of hostages still unaccounted for under the ruins of Gaza.

Responding to a call from the militant group for assistance with locating the bodies of the 19 hostages, buried under the rubble alongside an untold number of Palestinians, Türkiye sent specialists to help in the search.

However, dozens of Turkish specialists dispatched by Ankara to help find bodies in Gaza were at the border in Egypt, awaiting a green light from the Israeli government on Oct. 17. official told AFP on Friday.

"A team of 81 AFAD members is currently waiting at the border on the Egyptian side," the official said, referring to the government agency for search and rescue operations. "It remains unclear when Israel will allow the Turkish team to enter Gaza."