BGU’s Prof. Dorit Nitzan Published Recent Study Regarding Gazan Aid
BGU’s Prof. Dorit Nitzan Published Recent Study Regarding Gazan Aid
June 10, 2024
Prof. Dorit Nitzan, professor at the School of Public Health at BGU
Jewish Insider – For months, international aid agencies and governments around the world, including close allies of Israel, have accused Israel of not doing enough to ensure Gazans are receiving basic food supplies and other crucial aid.
Since the early days of the war with Hamas, Israel has insisted that it is doing everything it can – given the constraints of the battlefield – to facilitate the entry of aid sent by multiple countries and international groups into the Palestinian enclave.
Prof. Dorit Nitzan, a professor at the School of Public Health at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) in Beer-Sheva and a former World Health Organization coordinator of health and emergencies, oversaw a recent study together with Aron Troen, professor of agriculture, food, and environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The study found that the food aid entering Gaza “meets international nutritional standards” and should adequately provide for the territory’s entire population.
“The quantity and quality of food delivered by international donors through Israel to Gaza has steadily improved since January, and the study’s findings suggest that the current food supply contains sufficient energy and protein for the population’s needs,” said Prof. Dorit Nitzan. COGAT, the Israeli army unit responsible for coordinating civilian matters with Judea and Samaria and the Gaza Strip, claims it has facilitated aid delivery by keeping land crossings open and allowing hundreds of trucks and airdrops daily, despite battlefield constraints.
“The research paper does not really alter the assessment of severe food insecurity across Gaza and famine conditions in some of the worst-hit areas,” said Jeremy Konyndyk, president of the U.S.-based Refugees International, noting that the study covered the first quarter of this year, not the last three months of 2023.
However, Prof. Nitzan added, “Further studies are needed to investigate food distribution and population access to humanitarian aid.”
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