UN Warns of Gaza Famine (Again): How Many 'Last Warnings' Do We Get?
The UN's latest famine alert for Gaza, as noted by The New Arab, is just the most recent entry in a long performance of 'deep concern' that seems to accomplish little beyond providing soundbites. This isn't the first, nor will it be the last, hand-wringing session. Remember 2014, when UN officials 'warned' of Gaza becoming uninhabitable? Or 2021, when they 'cautioned' about humanitarian collapse?
One might wonder how many times catastrophe has to be 'impending' before it just becomes policy. While the UN issues urgent pleas for food, the US Congress is busy approving billions in additional military aid to Israel, often championed by politicians who receive significant contributions from groups like AIPAC. According to OpenSecrets, in 2023 alone, AIPAC spent over $20 million lobbying
Congress and contributing to campaigns, influencing votes on aid packages. Aid that, curiously, doesn't seem to include much in the way of preventing mass starvation. The contrast is stark: endless warnings for civilians, immediate funds for weapons.