Samantha Power, the head of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), said on Wednesday that some parts of northern Gaza are already experiencing famine, which has been created by Israel’s US-backed bombardment and siege of the Strip.
Power made the comments in a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing when asked about a cable sent by USAID to other US government agencies that said famine was already likely taking place in parts of northern Gaza and called the spread of hunger in disease “unprecedented in modern history.”
Power said the cable was based on a report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) and told lawmakers the assessment was credible. When asked if that meant famine was already occurring in northern Gaza, replied, “Yes.”
“Food has not flowed in sufficient quantities to avoid this imminent famine in the south, and these conditions that are giving rise already to child deaths in the north,” Power said.
Despite a top US official acknowledging that famine is occurring in Gaza, the US continues to support Israel’s genocidal campaign. President Biden has refused to call for a ceasefire that’s not linked to a hostage deal with Hamas, as he walked back comments that suggested he was calling for a unilateral truce to get more aid into Gaza.
Last week, Israel said that it would take steps to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, including the opening of the Erez border crossing into northern Gaza and allowing shipments to come through Israel’s port of Ashdod. But neither commitment has been implemented, and the UN is disputing Israel’s claim that it’s been allowing more trucks into southern Gaza.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that at least 33,545 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7. The total includes over 14,000 children and is considered a low estimate since it doesn’t account for the thousands of people dead under the rubble. Experts believe if conditions don’t change, the death toll could reach 100,000 by August as a result of military action, starvation, and disease.
Samantha Power is always big on r2p. So, is Power going to call for military intervention against Israel? Enquiring minds want to know!
Can it be she’s vying to be Ladyhawk colder than Nuland & Albright, not equivocating, much less resigning, boldly owning her part. Perhaps, all along she only meant R2pee?
Well, once you’ve ok’ed genocide, famine is pretty passe, no? But let’s talk about democracy and values again …
In the US where the fuck are they?
Israel will be fighting this war for generations to come. Much of it is their own doing.
Actually I believe the death of Israel as we know it is a foregone conclusion which would be something to cheer about. Genocide is against the laws of Humanity.
It sounds like you are calling for a genocide yourself.
What goes round comes round. The seeds of destruction run deep in the hearts and minds of some Amerikan Patriots{sic}
The difference is that after the killing is done, you will sit on the couch and watch CNN. The Israelis and the Palestinians will be burring the piles of bodies.
25 years ago Americans used radioactive weapons in their “humanitarian bombing campaign” against Yugoslavia. No one should be surprised when the corporate mass media will label Israeli genocidal campaign against Palestinians as an other humanitarian mission.
Israeli genocidal campaign against Palestinians
How about euthanize for a euphemism?
Biden’s lasting legacy: a modern 21st century famine where he’s on the exact same wrong side as the Republicans. Just can’t wait to hangout in the war criminals club with the likes of Bush.
“”Biden is now on the exact same wrong side as the Republicans….war criminals club with the likes of Bush.””
and there it is…. we can’t pretend that democrats are the good guys any more.
I agree with you if Pal said: “Biden is now…” Unless Pal edited his comment, I don’t see those words in his comment. A question, is your middle finger getting bigger? …It looks bigger.
OMG LOL the finger is getting bigger but it is not pointed at you.
now i’m going to go and make some scrambled eggs.
with ham and jalapenos. “oh WTF daddy did you put hot chilis?””
LOL little dears, more for me!
you can’t make this shit up.
The founder of the club was Truman.. The GOP were late to the (war) party.
When I was very young 70 years ago we had an expression ” No Shit Dick Tracy” Old people will remember it well.In Spanish it would be No Cabe Duda,There is no doubt. We are being screwed just as badly as the Palestinians. Most people don’t know it yet.
When I read the article about this in today’s NYT, most of the paragraphs were about the specific criteria for declaring a state of famine and whether or not Gaza has officially crossed that threshold. Are enough people clinically malnourished? Is the rate of death by starvation high enough?
It’s as if you couldn’t declare a house on fire until there were flames coming out of the roof and people jumping out of the upper-story windows.
The Bizarro World of modern journalism.
Same thing they’re doing with the word “genocide”. As if anything less than an actual genocide is acceptable.
Based on pictures approved by Israel, their bones haven’t penetrated their skin yet. So, they are not hungry enough. Wait. One more sip of coffee. There. Yes, so I was still verifying all the data points while Israel finishes them off. You can’t be too careful before you call it genocide when you see actual genocide.
It’s definitely not a genocide, just mass murder and ethnic cleansing
/s
Witness the banality of evil delivered to your door.
The PLO and Hamas have spent 70 years compounding the raw deal the Palestinians got. Screwing up every opportunity to help their own people,in return for pie int e sky.The Jews evicted from Yemen,Iraq,and Egypt had to go somewhere,so they came to nascent Israel.
You should do a David Letterman type top 10 reasons genocide is justified.
During the winter and spring of 1944-45 I experienced a period of hunger in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, The Netherlands. We were not bombed and were not stopped to go to the countryside to buy some food. The city began cooking and distributing meals once every day. In April Allied bombers dropped stuff for making bread. Nevertheless, I can imagine how much more frightening the hunger in Gaza must be. Much worse than what I experienced. Some at Gaza must be getting insane.
For us the fright was: how long will this last and when will the supply of food run out?
In my case, there was also no deliberate destruction of agricultural land which is happening at Gaza.
Respect. Big time.
Samantha Power, Samantha Power, Samantha Power… Would you all do me a favor and just spell out where she blamed Israel for the “FAMINE.” …Why don’t I? …I’m sorry. I can’t. When I hear her voice, I feel like a Demon wants to kill my soul. You know, like the feelings you get when you listen to Nuland, Hitlary, and Bolton?
“People in Gaza are starving.”
VP Kamala *cackle cackle* Harris, March 3rd.
Gaza’s Health Ministry said on Thursday that at least 33,545 Palestinians have been killed by Israel in Gaza since October 7.
How can they possibly keep track? Where do they operate out of? Nader is probably closer with his assessment of 200,000. And that was in early March.
It is because they can only publish the dead that has been brought to hospital or morgue while they existed. Only verifyable bodies. Unforunatelly missing should be presumed dead, as bodies remained in the rubble. How many children died in tge rubble, alone, in the darkness, injured, with no one to help.
This is the modern version of stoning Israel is so proud off.
Palestine has been experiencing famine since 1948.
Yet their populations have grown greatly.
Not untypical for species facing extinction.
contradiction in terms.
Paradoxical actually.
Really? And where do you think the population went after Israel built all tge settlements, walls and Israel inly roads. They were forced into Gaza.
Sadly true.Where do you thing the Jews expelled from their homes in the Arab lands went?-toIsrael.
They never had a problem until the Zios cane along.
Yet, there are more Jews today in Arab lands than before Israel was created? Most immigrants into Israel came from Europe and US. People from Brooklyn that converted to Judaism have more right to Pestinian land as colonist-settlers than people who luved there for hundreds of years.
Blame hamas.
What the hell, I’ll use this one again.
There is just no way to stop the genocide. The other parties, the one conducting the genocide (Israel), and those supplying the tools/support for the genocide (US) are completely powerless to stop the genocide. Do you need the sarcasm alert?
Well, who are you quoting?
FOOD
Me.
Hamas has not committed genocide. Israel has.
Genocide has started the day Israel announced genocide plan. The plan included options of a) killing Plalestinians by indiscriminate bombing, b) asking Egypt to take Palestinians and c) by starving Palestinians d) by destroying medical faciities e) by erradicating Palestinian presence (libraries, archives, graveyards), f) by holding donor conference to plan redevelopment of annexed land, g) by ignoring order by International Court to cease committing genocide and punish those who advocate it.
Israel said and repeated ad nauseum that it intends to commit genocide. Is there anything left to understand?
Israel is relishing making US look stupid snd Biden weak. It is not the “isolationists” that have isolated US from the world. Apart from our old colonial Europe, we have lost respect everywhere. This will not be a short time blip. It is a watershed event in world history,
Total destruction of Israeli villages,raping,castrating,kill the men,kids,elderly,women taken into captivity as sex slaves,torture of enemy soldiers-Hamas started the genocide.
When all else fails, it’s Oct 7th again complete with the debunked Israeli propaganda. And you’ve admitted that it’s a genocide once more.
Exactly, Hamas made us do it!
Actually this could evolve into the beginning of the end of world history if one of these lunatic nations like the US or Israel decides to use Nukes. My guess is the odds are about 50 50.
I am afraid I share your pesimism. Fanatical, delusional belief in one’s invincibility, no sense of danger to one’s own survival — seem to be at the core of the problem. Rules do not apply to us. The rest of the world is inferior — we concluded. This is the time to strike before they get any stronger. Etc.
Remember, FOOD
No kidding! There have been warnings and notices of starvation for months. Gazans were eating animal feed months ago. Babies have been dying of malnutrition.
This is so disgusting. A whole population is experiencing famine and politicians keep excusing it by saying Israel has the right to “defend itself.”
So let Hamas release all its hostages so its people wont starve.
Wow !
Jake are you saying the IDF as formal policy starves civilians to punish enemy soldiers ?
Don’t put words in my mouth. Once all the hostages are release, without any games,it reduces Israel’s internal political pressure and moral right to bomb away.
“Once all…hostages are release, without any games,it reduces Israel’s internal political pressure and moral right to bomb-”
Making up crap as usual, not only about Israel but about yr own openly genocidal cheerleading:
Short of US changing its unconditional support, 6 week ceasefire for food or not, Israel will keep collectively punishing and ethnically cleansing Palestinians – w/bombs and food/medicine blocks – w/Zionist creeps like you cheering every planned murder:
“Netanyahu says Israel will eliminate Hamas’ brigades, including in Rafah” (Reuters 4/9)
“Israel will complete the elimination of Hamas’ brigades, including in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, and nothing will prevent this…Netanyahu said….
“‘no force in the world that will stop us…this enemy, after what it did, will never do it again,’ N. said.”
While hostages are held,and Israelis know that they are being tortured, there lies justification for war. Once hostages are released,people want their boys home. Read and learn.
Too bad that reading and learning is something you can’t or won’t do.
Israel tortures the Palestinian prisoners (hostages) too. See what I did there? A jake. And there is a difference between waging war and conducting a genocide. Watch and learn.
“Read and learn.”
Support your claims.
jake biden has spoken. It’s on Hamas now. There is just no way to stop the genocide. The other parties, the one conducting the genocide (Israel), and those supplying the tools/support for the genocide (US) are completely powerless to stop the genocide. Do you need the sarcasm alert?
Read and learn.
Meaning? Or is that your new go to?
There must be a cminical name for this pathology.
“Head of USAID Says Palestinians in North…Already Experiencing Famine
Despite the acknowledgment, the US continues to support the Israeli siege that is causing the famine…
1/ …And the US continues to deny that deliberate Israeli policy acts – ie, not only direct military acts like shooting aid trucks or killing aid car workers, but the Israeli policy of hamstringing humanitarian aid – are causing civilian famine.
2/ Upshot? For some weeks, US has admitted famine, but denied Israel is deliberately causing it: “US Claims Israel Is Following International Law, Not Blocking Aid (Antiwar 3/24)
But, you’re wondering, how can the US support the ‘not blocking’ claim?
Because ‘What if that sanitary napkin or umbilical cord scalpel ended up in the hands of a Hamas fighter or Hamas supporter?’
See? ANY aid shutdown can be rationalized ‘because it MIGHT support Hamas’…
…A different version of Israel’s ‘1 individual with a weapon means we have the right to kill anyone else in aid trucks to defend ourselves.’
Return the hostages.The Israeli people were tired of Nety
even before Oct 7,and this war only serves to keep him in power.
FOOD.
The Israeli people agree with “Nety” when it comes to the genocide.
“Return the hostages”
‘righteous’ revenge for oct 7, ‘self defense,’ ‘it’s them or us,’ now hostages – w/you the explicit justifications for the planned murder of the Palestinian people never end
This is the same UISAid that funded gain of function research and funneled $Billions to Ukraine.
JUST IN: Rand Paul Brings The Receipts To Grill Samantha Power About Gain-Of-Function Research