Nearly 80 aid trucks carrying food ransacked in Gaza Saturday, says WFP as famine worsens

Nearly 80 aid trucks carrying food, primarily flour, were ransacked by desperate civilians in southern and central Gaza on Saturday amid worsening famine conditions, according to the UN World Food Programme (WFP). The trucks were halted en route, and the food was taken by individuals trying to feed their families, reflecting the extreme hunger caused by an almost three-month Israeli blockade1258.

Specifically, 20 trucks were looted near Netzarim in central Gaza and about 50 in Khan Younis in southern Gaza. Videos showed crowds seizing sacks of flour, with gunfire heard in some areas as people scrambled for supplies12.

The WFP described the humanitarian situation as spiraling out of control and stressed the urgent need to flood communities with food to restore hope and prevent further chaos. They also noted that starving people were no longer willing to let food trucks pass without taking aid directly15.

This incident follows previous break-ins at WFP warehouses and chaotic scenes at aid distribution points, where hunger and desperation have led to violence and deaths. The UN and other aid agencies face significant challenges in safely distributing aid once it arrives in Gaza due to the blockade and volatile conditions679.

In summary, the ransacking of nearly 80 aid trucks underscores the dire famine and humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with urgent calls for increased and secure aid delivery to prevent starvation125.