United Nations Radio

Less food is getting into Gaza as a result of the recent violence.

While Karen AbuZayd, the Commissioner-General for the UN's Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees says there is no widespread hunger in Gaza, people are being forced to eat less. She says for the first time in her eight years on the job she's seeing that some people are begging.

Karen AbuZayd

"People are doing pretty badly. Everyone we know is sharing whatever they have - not just with their family but with their neighbors ....really an extended family. So people are not eating as much as they use to. That's simply what's happening. We haven't seen widespread hunger. We do see for the very first time - as I keep saying I've been here eight years and seeing new things now a days - people through the rubbish dumps looking for things, people begging which is quite a new phenomenon here as well."

UNRWA has not distributed any food for the past two weeks directly affecting the 20,000 people a day who rely on the agency for food assistance.

Gail Walker, UN Radio

duration: 53"