UNITED NATIONS: The deputy executive director of the UN World Food Programme has been on whirlwind visits to hotspots in the Middle East and Sudan to assess dire humanitarian situations and escalating demands for food from millions of people trapped or fleeing conflicts.

But Carl Skau said in an interview this week that the Rome-based agency has been forced to make major cuts to the numbers of people it can help because of a lack of funding.

The humanitarian organization is working to diversify its funding, including targeting the private sector, but Skau said, “it’s going to be a tough time ahead, no doubt, with increasing gaps.”

Skau said the humanitarian situation in northern Gaza is dire but he’s equally worried about southern Gaza, “if not even more,” because of the million or so people on the beach north of Khan Younis as winter approaches.

In northern areas, where the UN estimates there are still 65,000 Palestinians and no aid has arrived for more than two months, Skau said Israeli military operations, lawlessness and taking of food aid have prevented access to the needy.

He said some humanitarian convoys have gotten through to the broader northern area including Gaza City, where the UN estimates some 300,000 people are located.

In the south, Skau said, the organization assisted around 1.2 million people in June, July, August and into September.