The UN’s World Food Program (WFP) on Tuesday announced that it had halted food distribution in northern Gaza until safety conditions there improve, according to Anadolu Agency.

“The decision to pause deliveries to the north of the Gaza Strip has not been taken lightly, as we know it means the situation there will deteriorate further and more people risk dying of hunger,” it said in a statement, adding that it remains committed to reaching people across the entire Gaza Strip, which has been under Israeli attacks for months.

However, it said, the safety and security to deliver critical food aid and for the people receiving it must be ensured.

Stressing that the latest reports confirm Gaza’s slide into hunger and disease as food and safe water have become incredibly scarce and diseases are rife, it added: “WFP will seek ways to resume deliveries in a responsible manner as soon as possible. A large-scale expansion of the flow of assistance to northern Gaza is urgently needed to avoid disaster.”