A Palestinian boy transports humanitarian aid along a deserted road in central Gaza; a Paralympic athlete from Thailand prepares to compete for gold; and a Sicilian goat faces extinction. Here’s why these three images matter right now.
Evacuation orders in the Gaza Strip complicate the delivery of humanitarian aid
Photographer Eyad Baba took this picture of a Palestinian boy in the central Gaza town of Deir al-Balah on Tuesday, dragging several items behind him, including jerry cans and large white sacks of the type used in humanitarian aid deliveries to distribute food.
Israel has ordered several evacuations across the Gaza Strip in recent days, including in Deir al-Balah on Sunday, where the United Nations was preparing to administer polio vaccinations to about 640,000 children.
The next day, the UN halted aid deliveries to Gaza for security reasons. According to the UN Sustainable Development Group, up to 90 percent of Gaza’s population has been displaced by the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas militants.
Sam Rose, deputy field director of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), told reporters on Monday that it was becoming “increasingly difficult” for the UN humanitarian system to operate in Gaza, according to Reuters.
Rose added that about a million Palestinians do not have access to food every month because the trucks carrying aid make the crossing into Gaza so difficult.
Opening of the 2024 Paralympics
The 2024 Paralympic Games began in Paris on Wednesday. Photojournalist Emilio Morenatti photographed 50-year-old swimmer Kaewsri Charkorn of Thailand for the Associated Press. Here, Charkorn is seen putting on his goggles with his foot during a training session one day before the start of the Games.
Charkorn has competed in every Summer Paralympic Games since 2012, swimming in the various men’s freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and individual medley events.
This year’s Summer Games are the first in the French capital. More than 4,000 athletes from all over the world will compete in 22 sports. The event will last until September 8th.
Sicily suffers from severe drought
Reuters photographer Louiza Vradi took this picture of a Girgentana goat on an organic farm in Caltanissetta, Italy, on Sunday, amid a severe drought. The Sicilian goat breed is in danger of extinction due to water shortages on the island caused by almost a year without rain.
“There are no more pastures,” Luca Cammarata, a local goat farmer, told Reuters.
The city’s residents have been without running water for two months and are having to ration water from tankers in Sicilian towns. Droughts on the Mediterranean island, accustomed to long periods without rain, are now lasting longer and occurring more frequently.
To address the water shortage until the rainy season in autumn, Italy declared a state of emergency in May.
