Hundreds of displaced Christian and Muslim families in the Gaza Strip have received parcels of fresh vegetables through a relief initiative jointly organized by the Catholic Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) and the Near East Council of Churches.
The distribution, which reached 444 families, comes amid worsening food insecurity in the territory as a result of continued hostilities, forced displacement, and a months-long blockade.
“This initiative provided much-needed nutritional support during a period of severe food scarcity in the Gaza Strip,” said Joseph Hazboun, regional director of the CNEWA/Pontifical Mission office in Jerusalem.
The project delivered 10-kilogram parcels containing tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, squash, eggplant, and bell peppers. Deliveries were made using closed trucks to prevent looting, Hazboun said, citing the “acute insecurity” across Gaza.
Families sheltering at the Holy Family Catholic Church and the St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church were among the recipients, along with others displaced in nearby areas and employees of the Middle East Council of Churches.
According to Hazboun, the aid aimed to provide “a minimum level of food security” for vulnerable families.
The vegetable parcels were procured from local markets through a US$37,000 grant from CNEWA.
“The fresh vegetables allowed beneficiary families to prepare healthy, nourishing meals for one week, significantly improving their dietary intake and overall well-being,” he said, adding that Gaza faces a “catastrophic humanitarian crisis.”
The United Nations has reported alarming levels of malnutrition, with more than 3,700 children admitted for treatment of acute malnutrition in March alone.
In recent weeks, the U.N. human rights office has raised concerns over “repeated incidents” of Israeli forces firing at Palestinians seeking food.
Aid access remains deadly challenge amid ongoing ceasefire talks
Efforts to deliver humanitarian aid in Gaza continue to face deadly obstacles as ceasefire negotiations stall over key conditions, including the unimpeded flow of relief supplies.
According to reports, eight Palestinians were killed on Wednesday while waiting for food assistance at a distribution site backed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
Gaza’s Health Ministry said more than 770 people have died at such aid centers since the operations began.
Al Jazeera journalist Hani Mahmoud, reporting from Gaza City, described the situation as one marked by “ongoing bombardment and forced starvation and dehydration,” adding that “people are getting killed trying to get food.”
Hamas has called for the “free and dignified entry and flow of aid” as a condition of a proposed ceasefire, alongside the withdrawal of Israeli forces and guarantees for a permanent truce.
Ceasefire negotiations, mediated by Qatar and the United States, remain “tough,” the group said, citing Israel’s “intransigence.”
Hospitals are also at breaking point. Nasser Hospital, the largest health facility in southern Gaza, warned that it has entered “the crucial and final hours” as fuel supplies run dry.
Medical staff are reportedly operating without electricity or air conditioning, facing severe exhaustion as they attempt to care for an influx of wounded civilians.
