There are fears a cholera outbreak may sweep through Gaza as Palestinians struggle to get clean water.
The warning from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency comes as world leaders expressed their outrage after at least 40 people were killed in an Israeli airstrike on a UN-run school in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Trocaire CEO Caoimhe de Barra believes famine has taken hold in Gaza.
“People in northern Gaza have probably been experiencing famine since April - according to the global body that assesses famine,” she said.
“This body has now said that famine is likely to take also place in southern Gaza as a result of the closure of the crossing points in Rafah since 6th May and due to the ongoing bombardment and insecurity in that entire region.”
People clamour for food in the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, 13-1-24. Image: © UNICEF/Abed ZagoutMs de Barra said the Government should be doing more to put pressure on Israel to end the conflict.
“Trocaire is calling on Ireland to focus on all possible ways to prevent further deaths, famine and a possible genocide,” she said.
“Including using Irish led legislation to prevent investment by the Irish State or Irish based companies in supporting companies linked to this war or to the illegal settlements in the West Bank.”
The Israeli Government has persistently denied accusations of genocide and the country’s Ambassador to Ireland described it as an ‘abuse’ of the word genocide.
Main imahge: Tents for displaced people are crowded west of Deir al-Balah city in the central Gaza Strip, 12-5-24. Image: ZUMA Press, Inc. / Alamy
