Khan Younis, Apr 20 (V7N)- As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepens, desperate families are resorting to consuming sea turtles—an endangered species—as a last resort for nutrition amid a crippling food shortage.

The news, reported by AFP, highlights the grave situation unfolding in Khan Younis, the largest city in southern Gaza. Majida Kanan, 61, a displaced resident living in a tent, has now cooked turtle meat for her family three times due to the lack of other protein sources.

“The children were scared when they saw the turtles, and we told them they were as tasty as veal,” she said. “Some of them eat it, some don’t.”

In the makeshift kitchen, turtle meat is cut into pieces and cooked with onions, peppers, tomatoes, and spices over a wood fire. Kanan explained that she cleans the meat with flour and vinegar before boiling it in an old metal pot. “I didn’t expect to eat a turtle!” she admitted.

Despite international protections for sea turtles, the dire need for food has led Gazans to consume turtles caught accidentally in fishing nets—a stark indicator of the extreme conditions on the ground.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned that Gaza is experiencing its worst humanitarian crisis since the war began on October 7, 2023, following an attack by Hamas on Israel.

Since then, Israel’s military operations and blockades on aid since March 2 have led to widespread hunger across Gaza. Israel accuses Hamas of diverting humanitarian assistance, a claim denied by the group.

On Thursday, the heads of 12 major aid organizations warned that famine in Gaza is not just a risk, but a looming reality that could rapidly spread to all regions if urgent access is not granted.

“There are no open crossings and there is nothing in the markets,” said Kanan. “When I buy two small bags of vegetables for 80 shekels ($22), I have no money left to buy meat.”

So far, only two ceasefires—a one-week pause in late November and a two-month truce from January 19 to March 17—have temporarily halted the fighting. But with hostilities ongoing, the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate.

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