(p. A17) A new study by a group of Israeli academic nutritionists and physicians finds that more food is being delivered to Gaza today than before the war.
. . .
The study analyzed airdrops and food shipments delivered by land from January through April 2024, based on shipping details provided by international donors and recorded by Cogat, Israel’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories.
. . .
The study revealed that the supply provided an average of 3,374 calories per person daily, well above the 2,100 recommended by the Sphere humanitarian movement as the minimum standard. It also confirms the daily availability of 101 grams of protein and 80.6 grams of fat per person, in compliance with the standards.
The problem is that distribution within a war zone is extremely challenging, and food doesn’t necessarily get to Gazans—or to hostages. When Hamas has had the means to do so, particularly earlier in the war, it has stolen aid, fired rockets from humanitarian zones, and fired at Israeli troops near aid corridors. Despite this, in a survey conducted on March 20 [2024] by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research, 96% of Gazans said they could access food and water, albeit often with “great difficulty or risk.”
That’s because Cogat places no restrictions on the admission of humanitarian aid into Gaza, provided it is coordinated in advance with the Israeli authorities and passes through legitimate security screening. So far, 98.7% of all aid trucks sent were approved and entered the Gaza Strip.
For the full commentary, see:
(Note: ellipses, and bracketed year, added.)
(Note: the online version of the commentary has the date June 5, 2024, and has the same title as the print version.)
The study discussed in the passages quoted above is: