The humanitarian aid agencies operating in Gaza are facing mounting challenges from all directions, including intensified bombardments from the Israeli military, threats from Hamas and armed gangs, and a breakdown in law and order, severely hindering the delivery of lifesaving aid in Gaza, where famine is unfolding across the territory.

All this occurs as the UN agency says that more than 500,000 people are experiencing "famine-like conditions," extreme hunger and acute malnutrition. 

According to a statement released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on July 27, aid workers are increasingly unsafe when working, given their proximity to combat, and are sometimes even targeted.

Hamas' inability to maintain law and order after 22 months of war that have resulted in the killing of many of its fighters, coupled with the rise of armed groups and gangs, has led to looting, insecurity at aid crossings and direct attacks on aid convoys. There's mounting evidence that these groups are raiding aid convoys to sell supplies at higher prices at local markets.