Is there any food still left in Gaza?

Yes – it’s just nowhere near enough and too often unavailable. Since last October, when Israel tightened their blockade of food and fuel, at best 100 trucks have been allowed entry per day. For all of Gaza to eat, 500 trucks per day are needed. Some weeks have seen only 30-40 trucks per day.

Secondly, although there is still some local production of meat, milk, fruit and vegetables, the prices have shot sky high. Like it or not, market forces prevail both in war and in peace. Moreover the economy overall has ground to a screeching halt and working people haven’t received a salary for months. Too often in Gaza as elsewhere, no money means no food. 

What’s special about how AlZaytuna works ?

AlZaytuna is embedded in the very fabric of the community in which they work. While other, larger international aid organizations, also have local branches in Gaza, their dependancy on food sent from abroad means their hands are tied by the fate of negotiations as to whether Israel will allow aid trucks to enter or not. These negotiations have now gone on for over six months.

AlZaytuna, on the other hand, gets a good part of its supplies locally. They know all local producers of food and as soon as donations arrive, food is purchased and distributed straight away, often taken right to the shelters and tents of those who need it most. Moreover, because AlZaytuna buys locally, sometimes it’s even possible to distribute fresh food instead of only the dry staples (flour, rice and lentils etc are the most easily stored and shipped) used by most aid agencies.

Transparency – Can we see how donations are used?

AlZaytuna has adopted a policy of filming ‘Thank you videos’ for each and every donation received. Each video, filmed with their cellphones, shows either the preparation or distribution of the project for which the donation was used. For instance, when hot meals are prepared, we’ll see volunteers in the kitchen, expressing their thanks, as cooking goes on in the background. If the aim is to distribute food baskets, AlZaytuna gives us a look at the baskets being put together. During Ramadan, we’ve seen refugee camps where AlZaytuna is distributing hot meals in the street right before Iftar, the moment of breaking the fast. You can see examples of these videos in the ‘Thank You’ section.

Recent bombardments in the area have made it more difficult, but as long as conditions permit, AlZaytuna fully intends to continue this policy of thank you videos.

How bad is the famine in Gaza according to the experts ?

Oxfam press release – 18/03/2024: « …the catastrophic levels of hunger and starvation in Gaza are the highest ever recorded on the IPC scale, both in terms of number of people and percentage of the population. Never before have we seen such rapid deterioration into widespread starvation. Since December, the number of people in Gaza who have plunged into catastrophic levels of hunger, has nearly doubled. « 

UNICEF press release – 15/03/2024: In the middle of the strip, (where AlZaytuna is located), « 28% of children under 2 years have acute malnutrition, more than 10% of which have severe wasting. »

International Rescue Committee press release – 18/03/2024: « If escalation continues,… almost half of all children (46%) in Gaza aged 6 months to 5 years, approximately 140,000 young children – could suffer from acute malnutrition by August…. »

For more information , see below links to the WHO, UNICEF and other authorities: