Humanitarian Crisis Deepens: Gaza City Exodus Overwhelms Aid Efforts Amid Israeli Offensive

Last month, as Israel launched its extensive ground assault on Gaza City, Khitam Ayyad was forced to abandon her home, fleeing barefoot and without any belongings. She headed towards a region in southern Gaza that the Israeli military had declared a “humanitarian zone.” The military had assured that essential provisions such as tents, food, and medical assistance would be readily available for those escaping the intense fighting in the northern areas. However, upon reaching Khan Younis, one of these designated humanitarian zones in the south, Ms. Ayyad encountered a severely overcrowded situation where desperate individuals received minimal support. She recounted, “We are completely exposed to the relentless sun and heat.” She further explained that there was no available space to erect shelter, nor was there adequate food or water. The Israeli military stated that its ground offensive, which commenced on September 16th to seize control of Gaza City, aims to dismantle one of Hamas’s final strongholds in the region. An image depicts a lengthy procession of people and trucks, many laden with belongings, moving along a coastal road away from a devastated city. This scene illustrates how hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, seeking refuge from Israel’s ground assault on Gaza City, have migrated to the southern part of Gaza. Another photograph shows a Palestinian man seeking respite in the shade of a makeshift tent by the roadside, having escaped the conflict in northern Gaza. Prior to the offensive, the military asserted that southern Gaza’s humanitarian infrastructure was adequately prepared for the anticipated large influx of people from the north. This week, military reports indicated that 780,000 individuals had evacuated Gaza City since the initial order on September 9th. This massive displacement has severely overburdened humanitarian services, which aid organizations emphasize were already insufficient before the arrival of these additional thousands. Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the United Nations’ humanitarian office stationed in a designated zone, described seeing “hundreds of people just sitting on the side of the road, looking completely shell-shocked and without any possessions.” Meanwhile, on Monday, both President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu endorsed a peace proposal aimed at ending the conflict that began with a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023. The plan promised “full aid” to be delivered “immediately” to Gaza upon its implementation, though Hamas’s acceptance of the deal remained uncertain. COGAT, the Israeli military agency responsible for coordinating aid to Gaza, restated its position that southern Gaza’s humanitarian facilities were ready for the new arrivals. In a statement on September 25th, COGAT affirmed, “Accordingly, the transfer of food, medical equipment, and shelter supplies has been increased,” and “Steps have been taken in the fields of water and medical response in the southern Gaza Strip.” A photograph captures Palestinians transporting water from a tank within a displaced persons camp in Al-Mawasi, southern Gaza. Another image shows a bustling food distribution point in Al-Mawasi. However, a New York Times photographer’s visit to the humanitarian zone, coupled with interviews with Palestinians and aid groups, revealed little evidence of this promised infrastructure two weeks into the offensive. Consensus among them was that the existing facilities were woefully inadequate. Ms. Cherevko emphasized the dire situation, stating, “The hospitals are entirely overflowing. Water production has plummeted to unprecedented lows, and various diseases are rapidly spreading.” Since the commencement of the ground offensive in Gaza City, aid agencies report that efforts to mitigate the escalating humanitarian crisis throughout Gaza have descended into disarray. In northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands remain sheltered within Gaza City, the distribution of food and aid has been severely hampered, according to aid organizations. The United Nations humanitarian office reported that the Israeli military closed the Zikim crossing on September 12th, days prior to the Gaza City operation. This action effectively blocked a critical entry point for essential aid and goods. When questioned about the closure, the Israeli military stated that the passage of aid trucks through Zikim was “subject to operational considerations.” A video shows displaced Palestinians from Gaza City setting up their tents on a piece of land west of Nuseirat Camp in central Gaza. Bassem al-Qedra explained that after fleeing Gaza City, he and his children spent three nights sleeping on the streets of Khan Younis, located in southern Gaza. The United Nations further stated that in recent weeks, Israeli authorities had blocked or hindered approximately half of its attempts to transport aid from southern to northern Gaza. Ms. Cherevko noted that this significantly crippled community kitchens in the north, which could now only prepare about one-third of their previous meal output. In response, the Israeli military issued a statement affirming that aid deliveries from southern to northern Gaza were “facilitated through internal coordination” with aid groups, ensuring that the distribution “continues on an ongoing basis.” The ground offensive has also wreaked havoc on Gaza City’s healthcare system. On Wednesday, the Red Cross announced it would cease operations and withdraw its staff from Gaza City. This followed a similar decision by Doctors Without Borders, which reported that Israeli forces had “encircled” their facilities. Over the weekend, the United Nations confirmed that four hospitals in northern Gaza had been rendered inoperable due to the intense fighting over the past month. Israel’s military actions and their profound impact on civilians have drawn widespread condemnation, leading to increased international isolation for the country. Just last month, a U.N. commission probing the conflict accused Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians—an allegation vehemently denied by Israel. Furthermore, an August report by a U.N.-backed panel of food experts declared Gaza City and its environs to be officially in a state of famine, with half a million people at risk of starvation, severe malnutrition, and death. Israel has disputed these findings and critiqued the panel’s methods. Israeli officials maintain that sufficient food is allowed into Gaza, but contend that it is either stolen or that aid agencies face difficulties in distribution. Conversely, the United Nations and other relief organizations state that Israel frequently rejects or postpones requests to retrieve supplies at the border and transport them securely into Gaza, among other significant obstacles. The pervasive insecurity throughout Gaza has also posed considerable challenges for aid agencies attempting to reach those in need. An image shows a family resting by the roadside near Nuseirat in central Gaza, surrounded by their few possessions. Another striking image captures people moving their belongings at night, illuminated by headlights, with a pack animal pulling a cart. Prior to the Gaza City offensive, UNICEF regularly delivered specialized treatment for malnourished children to northern Gaza twice weekly. However, as Tess Ingram, a UNICEF spokeswoman, revealed, only one such delivery has occurred since the offensive started. Last week, a United Nations report detailed a successful shipment of malnutrition treatment, sufficient for 2,700 children, into Gaza City, only for these vital supplies to be stolen by armed individuals. The United Nations reported that in September, a staggering 73 percent of aid entering Gaza was stolen from its trucks by either desperate civilians or armed gangs. A portion of this stolen aid is subsequently sold in local markets throughout the territory at exorbitant prices. During the initial days of the Israeli ground offensive in Gaza City, some markets remained open as vendors attempted to sell off their remaining stock before evacuating. However, residents now report that most markets are either closed or completely stripped bare of goods. Amani al-Hessi, 40, a journalist for Al Madina, an Arabic-language newspaper based in Israel, is currently sheltering in a severely damaged house in Gaza City. She stated that there are no remaining places in her vicinity to purchase food. She recounted, “Yesterday, I visited what was once the market in Shati, a Gaza City neighborhood, but there was absolutely nothing for sale. At best, we have enough food to last one more week.” An image shows two boys leaning on a donkey-pulled cart on a sandy terrain, with a dense cluster of tents in the background. This highlights that many who undertook the arduous journey from Gaza City to Al-Mawasi discovered minimal space remaining to erect their shelters. Another photo portrays a woman preparing a meal for her family outside a makeshift tent in Al-Mawasi. Aid agencies assert that the Israeli military seemed unprepared for the massive population displacement that its Gaza City offensive triggered. Ms. Ingram, the UNICEF spokeswoman, questioned the sufficiency of resources in Al-Mawasi, a designated humanitarian zone: “Is there food and water in Al-Mawasi? Yes. Is it sufficient for the people who are currently here? No. Will it be sufficient if hundreds of thousands more people come? Definitely not.” Bassem al-Qedra, 43, shared his experience of fleeing Gaza City, stating that he and his children slept on the street for three days in Khan Younis before he managed to find a barren patch of sand and paid nearly $100 for someone to set up a tent for his family. Mr. al-Qedra, who lost his taxi in the war, lamented, “No water, no food, no money. No one could help.”