2/24/24

By Aditi Jha

In Gaza, the Israeli military's aerial bombardment and ground invasion is leaving a shortage of food and water for many. The food is available, but it is inaccessible. The bombardment, violence against truck drivers, and robbery is stopping the aid from going through. The United Nations reported that 1 in 6 children in Gaza are malnourished. Around 90 percent of the children in Gaza are in severe food poverty and/or affected by infectious diseases. 80 percent of homes in Gaza don't have clean water. The World Food Programme's regional director, Matthew Hollingworth, said that "The level of desperation, of hopelessness, of despair is really shocking. People are so scared because they don’t know where their next meal is coming from and they don’t know where they’re going to be sleeping tonight." Hamas' Oct. 7 attacks on Israel killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took about 240 hostages, 130 of which are still captive. 32 are known to be dead. Since October 7th, the death toll in Gaza has increased to over 29,000 people. The Houthis, also known as Ansar Allah, are an Iran-backed group that mostly attacks Israeli ships in response to the aerial bombardment of Gaza. The Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam told Al Jazeera that "Operations are to support the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, and we cannot stand idly by in the face of the aggression and siege." The Houthis control many parts of Yemen, such as Sanaa and some of the northwest. For the past few years, they have been fighting a Saudi Arabia military coalition with Iran's support. Lately, they have been engaging in peace talks to start a ceasefire. The U.S. and the U.K. have been carrying out strikes against the Houthis after Houthi attacks on Israeli ships and waterways in an attempt to de-escalate the situation.. Countries including Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand supported these strikes. The official joint statement read that "The Houthis' now more than 45 attacks on commercial and naval vessels since mid-November constitute a threat to the global economy, as well as regional security and stability, and demand an international response." It's unclear how much of an impact strikes have had on the Houthis, and experts worry that it might cause unintended escalation. 

That's the news for today! Stay safe!