KUALA LUMPUR - The World Bank Group has called for urgent action to save lives as more than half the population of Gaza is on the brink of famine including children and the elderly.
"We join the international community in calling for immediate, free, and unimpeded access of medical supplies, food and life-essential services through all available means at speed and scale to the people of Gaza,” the Washington-based agency said in a statement Tuesday.
The recent report by the United Nations (UN)-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) says the entire population in the Gaza Strip of about 2.23 million is facing high levels of acute food insecurity.
The report says between mid-March and mid-July, in the most likely scenario and under the assumption of an escalation of the conflict including a ground offensive in Rafah, half of the population of the Gaza Strip or about 1.11 million people is expected to face catastrophic conditions.
The report also says famine is now projected and imminent in the North Gaza and Gaza Governorates and is expected to manifest from mid-March 2024 to May 2024.
The World Bank Group said in its statement that its board of directors in Dec 2023 approved the commitment of US$35 million funds to development partners active in Gaza, including the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef), the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
This includes a US$10 million package for the WFP to purchase food parcels and vouchers to reach an estimated 377,000 people, it said. - BERNAMA