Italian farmers participated in the Food for Gaza program, which was promoted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to support the people of Gaza.
Led by the ministry, in collaboration with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Program (WFP), the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the Food for Gaza initiative was launched in March to deliver food and improve food security in the Palestinian enclave.
WFP is facing immense access challenges to move supplies into and within Gaza and has been forced to reduce rations and prioritize hot meals and bakeries.
Twenty metric tons of agri-food products donated by the Italian farmers in Confagricoltura and Coldiretti, along with 20 tons of medical equipment provided by the Red Cross, were shipped on November 25th from the United Nations humanitarian response depot managed by the WFP in Brindisi, Puglia, to the Jordanian capital of Amman and then to be transported overland in Gaza.
The humanitarian aid has been entrusted to the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization, which handled its subsequent entry into Gaza.
See Also:Olive Farmers Flee Southern Lebanon as Conflict Escalates“Since the beginning of the conflict, Italy has been at the forefront in providing humanitarian assistance to the population of Gaza, delivering relief goods and providing care to people in need of medical assistance, including minors and their families,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani, who promoted the initiative. “The Food for Gaza program aims to facilitate access to food aid, ensuring food security and alleviating the population’s suffering.”
One of the fifteen trucks donated by Italy to WFP to deliver the Food for Gaza humanitarian aid in Gaza. (Photo: World Food Program)
Already in July, the Italian farmers in Confagricoltura and Coldiretti contributed to the initiative by providing 45 tons of agri-food products, which have been shipped and distributed together with hygiene kits, medical equipment and tents provided by the Red Cross.
Italy donated 15 trucks to the WFP, which will be used to distribute aid. Tajani and the WFP’s assistant executive director, Rania Dagash, attended a delivery ceremony on October 25th at the Port of Genoa, Liguria.
Italy has also contributed €12 million to WFP to purchase foodstuff to be distributed in Gaza.
According to the United Nations, more than 44,500 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel started its invasion of the Palestinian enclave.
More than 1.9 million people, corresponding to about 90 percent of the population, are internally displaced and face extreme hunger, with 70 percent of crops destroyed, livelihoods decimated, and severely restricted both commercial and humanitarian supply lines.
The Israeli invasion came in response to the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel, in which 1,180 Israelis and foreign nations were killed, 3,400 were injured, and 251 were captured and brought back into Gaza.
See Also:The Lasting Strain on Israeli Olive Growers Six Months After Devastating Attack=According to a recent food security assessment, the WFP reported the risk of famine will persist throughout Gaza this winter unless the fighting stops and more humanitarian aid reaches the population.
“In a complex context like that of Gaza, where the needs are immense, and the environment becomes ever more challenging, WFP is facing immense access challenges to move supplies into and within Gaza and has been forced to reduce rations and prioritize hot meals and bakeries,” Emanuela Cutelli, who is responsible for communication at WFP in Italy, told Olive Oil Times.
“However, even bakeries risk shutting down for lack of flour and fuels,” she added. “WFP and its partners are doing everything they can to bring relief to the population in dire need of basic goods.”
“The Italian humanitarian initiative, Food For Gaza, is a precious tool and a concrete sign of humanitarian response to the population’s need,” Cutelli concluded. “We are grateful for the ministry’s initiative and the various Italian public and private actors who supported the WFP in bringing food and hope to a desperate population.”
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