Title: U.S. Considering Airdrops of Humanitarian Aid to Crisis-Ridden Gaza Strip
The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to deepen, with assistance failing to reach those in need, prompting the United States to explore potential airdrops of aid. According to two U.S. officials, the U.S. is evaluating this option due to the challenging conditions on the ground.
The U.S. government has repeatedly emphasized that significantly more action is required for critically needed aid to reach over 2 million people in Gaza, who are at “imminent risk” of famine as per the United Nations’ warning.
The situation has become so desperate that Jordan, Egypt, the UAE, Qatar, and France have airdropped relief supplies in various areas of Gaza. Axios was the first to report that the U.S. is investigating this approach as well.
Last week, the flow of trucks entering the enclave dropped to less than 100 per day, according to Samantha Power, Administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Power underscored the urgency of the situation during a Website video integration message from the Kerem Shalom crossing, stating:
“It is absolutely clear that, as conditions continue to deteriorate in Gaza, for the Gazan people, two crossings are not enough. We are talking to Israeli officials about the need to open up far more crossings, far more passages into Gaza, so that vitally needed humanitarian assistance can be dramatically surged. This is a matter of life and death.”
Power held discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Wednesday, one of the U.S. officials informed CNN.
