UN time for 215 million hungry people is less than for Gaza

Discussions on the Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

Since the beginning of military actions in Gaza, numerous meetings and negotiations concerning the humanitarian situation have taken place at the UN headquarters. Despite Israel’s acknowledgment that the situation is complex and unusual, analysis of data from the UN Food Program in the context of discussions shows, writes www.ynetnews.com, striking discrepancies between the scale of the crisis and the focus of the UN Security Council.

Data from the UN Food Program

The UN Food Program operates in 120 countries worldwide, 17 of which are recognized as “emergency” — including “Palestine.” According to the program, 5.5 million Palestinians live in Gaza and the West Bank, of which about 640,000 are on the brink of starvation. Comparatively, in other countries designated as “emergency,” approximately 215.9 million people are affected.

In addition, many countries face various levels of risk where the Food Program also conducts its work.

Necessary Funds for Operations

To continue operations in Gaza and the West Bank, $334 million is needed this year. This extreme situation causes great concern for the UN Security Council. Since November 2023, it has held at least 60 discussions on the humanitarian situation in Gaza, during which serious accusations were made against Israel. In comparison, the situation in Sudan, which suffers from even harsher conditions, was discussed only 19 times — despite 24.6 million people suffering there.

Comparison with Other Regions

Against this backdrop, the situation in Haiti prompted only ten discussions over two years, although 5.7 million people in the country face acute hunger. In Lebanon, where 2.5 million out of 5.8 million residents also need UN support, the humanitarian crisis has not been discussed by the Council in the past two years. And the Syrian situation, aside from rare discussions, has gone unnoticed: it has been addressed only five times since November 2023, even though more than nine million people in Syria suffer from food shortages. To restore the Food Program’s operations in Syria, $335 million is needed.

Complex Humanitarian Situation in Yemen and Other Countries

In Yemen, where the Houthi are actively involved in conflict with Israel, the situation is even more severe: about 40 million people are in extreme conditions, of which 17 million suffer from food shortages and 19.5 million require humanitarian assistance. Supporting operations there over the next month requires $577 million, yet the needs of this country have been considered by the Council only twice in the past two years.

Crises in Other Countries

• Ukraine: Five million people need assistance, requiring $270 million for operations this year.
• Sudan: 24.6 million suffer from acute hunger, requiring $645 million for continuous work.
• Nigeria: 30.6 million people in the northeastern part of the country need assistance, but the Council’s attention to them has been minimal.

Consequences of International Attention

Amid the vast number of discussions on Gaza, Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon emphasized that the Security Council consistently ignores the severity of situations in other countries, such as Sudan, Congo, and Ethiopia, where millions face hunger. He noted that such selective coverage of humanitarian crises serves political interests rather than genuine humanitarian concern.