Reporters Experiencing Hunger Crisis in Gaza
In the embattled Gaza Strip, journalists are facing a crisis of their own. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has called on the Israeli government to halt the weaponization of starvation against the people of Gaza and to allow foreign journalists to enter the region.
The situation is dire. According to reports from the United Nations, extreme levels of starvation have led to over a hundred deaths from malnutrition in Gaza in the past year and a half. One in three people in Gaza is going days without eating.
The editorial committee of Agence France-Presse (AFP) has drawn attention to the plight of journalists in Gaza, who are struggling to report the truth amidst the hardships. AFP staff journalists left Gaza last year, and since then, the organization has worked with freelancers who are the only ones left to report what is happening in the Gaza Strip.
These reporters have survived air strikes, economic collapse, and lack of access to healthcare. They face daily risks, including the risk of diarrhea and colon problems due to non-potable water. Shrouq Aila, a Palestinian journalist in Gaza, goes home each evening after a day of reporting without having eaten since the day before. She faces the risk of malnutrition, as does her two-year-old daughter, Dania, who is growing up in dire circumstances with limited food and nutrition.
Seth Stern, the director of advocacy of the Freedom of the Press Foundation, has expressed admiration for the courage of journalists in Gaza. Aila stores water bottles at home for drinking, as other sources are not safe. Abdulrahman Ismail, another journalist in Gaza, has resorted to drinking salt water and chewing dried herbs due to hunger. One of Abed's colleagues in Gaza prioritizes finding food for his family over reporting the news.
The lack of access to food in Gaza has led to the departure of Palestinian journalist Abubaker Abed, who is now living in Ireland and keeping in touch with colleagues remotely. More than 230 journalists and media workers in Gaza have been killed since October 2023, according to the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University. Hundreds more have been killed in Gaza while trying to get food, also according to the United Nations.
The situation is not just affecting the journalists in Gaza. Sara Qudah, the regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at the Committee to Protect Journalists, has warned of the loss of independent sources of reporting from inside Gaza. The IFJ's Anthony Bellanger has called for action, urging the Israeli government to allow foreign journalists to enter Gaza and to stop weaponizing starvation against the people of Gaza.
This crisis is far from over. The editorial committee of AFP has warned that without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die. The people of Gaza, and the world, rely on these journalists to tell their stories. It is crucial that action is taken to ensure their safety and the continuation of independent reporting from the region.
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