LONDON: The AFP journalists’ association has issued a dire warning that journalists working with the agency in Gaza are facing extreme food shortages and risk starvation under Israel’s ongoing blockade. The SDJ, representing AFP staff, stated they refuse to let their colleagues die from hunger.
“Since AFP was founded in August 1944, we have lost journalists in conflicts, we have had wounded and prisoners in our ranks, but none of us can recall seeing a colleague die of hunger,“ the association said in a post on X.
AFP currently employs a freelance reporter, three photographers, and six video journalists in Gaza. Among them is Bashar Taleb, a 30-year-old photographer, who shared his deteriorating condition on Facebook.
“I don’t have the power to cover media anymore. My body is lean and I no longer have the ability to walk,“ Taleb wrote. His older brother reportedly collapsed from severe hunger.
Despite receiving salaries, AFP journalists in Gaza struggle to afford food due to inflated prices. The agency lacks vehicles as fuel shortages prevent travel, and moving by car risks Israeli airstrikes.
Another journalist, Ahlam, expressed fears of not returning alive from assignments. “Every time I leave the tent to cover an event, conduct an interview, or document a fact, I don’t know if I’ll come back alive,“ she said. - Bernama-Anadolu
The union warned that their courage in reporting will not ensure survival. “We risk learning of their deaths at any moment, and this is unbearable,“ the statement added.
Israel’s blockade since March 2 has barred food, medicine, and aid, worsening famine risks. Over 59,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed in Israel’s offensive since October 2023.
