The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has warned of the risk of famine in Gaza, a day after the United States said Israel had been warned to improve aid deliveries to the territory, AFP reports.

UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini told a press conference in Berlin that “there is a real risk today … that we enter a situation where famine or acute malnutrition is unfortunately again a likelihood,” pointing to the upcoming winter and the weakened immune systems of Gaza’s population.

Lazzarini painted a dire picture of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, saying it had “become a kind of wasteland, which I would say is almost unliveable”.

About aid deliveries to Gaza, he said that “over the last two to three weeks there was no convoy entering into the north except yesterday”.

“We have a huge drop of convoys in the south with only an average of 50-60 for two million people, while we estimate the number needed much, much higher,” Lazzarini said.

He pointed out that the convoys which had managed to enter had been subject to looting “because of the total breakdown of law and order”.

However, he stressed that with appropriate action a hunger crisis in Gaza “can be avoided” if convoys and food are allowed to enter.

“We have shown that we can have a polio campaign, so why can we not bring food?” he asked.