Harsh criticism from experts USA withdraws report on impending famine in Gaza
A report by a US early warning system for famine on the situation in the Gaza Strip meets with resistance from the American ambassador to Israel. Surprisingly, the report is rejected, which in turn leads to harsh criticism from experts.
27.12.2024, 23:00
27.12.2024, 23:06
dpa
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- A US Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) report on the situation in the Gaza Strip is surprisingly withdrawn.
- The American ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, had described the report as "flawed and irresponsible".
- Human rights activists and experts on development aid criticized the US approach as possible political interference in the work of FEWS.
A US report with warnings of an impending famine in the north of the Gaza Strip has been surprisingly withdrawn. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) confirmed to the AP news agency that it had asked the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS) - a kind of early warning system for famines - which it funds, to withdraw its report. The American ambassador to Israel, Jacob Lew, had previously described the report as "flawed and irresponsible". The findings did not adequately reflect the rapidly changing circumstances in the north of the Gaza Strip, he explained.
FEWS was created by USAID in the 1980s after famines in East and West Africa as an instrument to inform governments worldwide on an independent basis about imminent food crises. This work also includes war zones. The service publishes reports via the FEWS Net website.
FEWS confirmed on Thursday that it had withdrawn the warning for the north of the Gaza Strip. A new report with adjusted data and analyses is expected to be published in January.
Sharp drop in aid deliveries
In the north of the Gaza Strip, thousands of people have fled an intensified Israeli military offensive against the militant Islamist Hamas, which, according to aid groups, has resulted in a sharp drop in aid deliveries to the area since October. The withdrawn FEWS report speaks of an "extensive total blockade" by Israel. Between January and March, between two and 15 people a day could die of hunger and related suffering if Israel does not change its approach, it said. Internationally recognized criteria for a famine include two or three daily deaths from hunger per 10,000 inhabitants.
UN representatives explained that Israel had increased the volume of aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip in the summer under pressure from the USA. However, Israel has recently blocked almost all aid deliveries to the north of the territory. The American Cindy McCain, Executive Director of the UN World Food Program, recently called for increased political pressure to get more food for Palestinians into the territory.
Delivery of aid hardly possible
Israel's government has declared that it has been taking targeted action against Hamas members active in the north of the Gaza Strip for several months. Most of the area's inhabitants have fled to the city of Gaza, where most of the aid destined for the north is delivered. Israel also emphasized that it was not restricting aid deliveries to the Gaza Strip. On the contrary, loads of goods were piling up at border crossings but were not being picked up by aid groups. However, the UN and other organizations complain that Israeli restrictions, ongoing fighting, looting and inadequate security measures by the Israeli armed forces make effective delivery impossible.
US Ambassador Lew criticized that the FEWS famine warning was based on "outdated and inaccurate" figures. He referred to unclear data on how many of the 65,000 to 75,000 people remaining in the north of the Gaza Strip had actually decided to flee in recent weeks. This has distorted the findings of FEWS. However, the organization behind the early warning system emphasized in its now withdrawn report that the assessment of an impending famine would also be valid if fewer than 10,000 people remained in place.
Possible political influence
The development agency USAID told the AP that it had already reviewed the FEWS report before it was published. It had noticed "discrepancies" in population estimates and other data. The organization behind FEWS was therefore asked to investigate the inconsistencies and explain in the final report how they would have affected the predictions of famine. The instructions were sent before Ambassador Lew's statement, USAID emphasized. However, FEWS Net did not address the concerns and published the report despite the technical comments and a request for an exchange. USAID therefore ultimately requested that the report be withdrawn.
Human rights activists and development aid experts criticized the US approach as possible political interference in the work of FEWS. "This verbiage about the number of people in desperate need of food appears to be a politicized distraction from the fact that the Israeli government is blocking the import of virtually all food," said Kenneth Roth, former director of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch. "US President Joe Biden's administration seems to be closing its eyes to reality, but burying its head in the sand doesn't feed anyone."