Catastrophic Hunger Looming in Gaza According to WHO
The Gaza Strip is currently experiencing one of the most severe hunger crises globally, with approximately 91% of its 2.1 million residents facing crisis or worse levels of food insecurity, according to recent reports.
The situation has worsened dramatically since the total blockade imposed by Israel from March to May 2025, which cut off food, fuel, water, medicine, and other humanitarian supplies. This blockade, coupled with ongoing hostilities and displacement orders, has led to a near-collapse of Gaza’s food systems, healthcare, and critical lifelines.
As a result, over a third of the population is not eating for multiple days in a row, and a quarter is living in famine-like conditions. Acute malnutrition, especially among children, has surged to levels ten times higher than before the conflict began in late 2023. Around 100,000 women and children suffer severe acute malnutrition, with thousands hospitalized, although many cannot reach medical care due to ongoing fighting and restricted movement.
Aid distribution is another significant issue. While some UN agencies have pre-positioned enough food stocks to supply Gaza for two months if ceasefire and safe access were permitted, actual aid delivery is severely hampered by security risks, restrictions, and attacks near distribution points. UN staff have reported being fired upon while trying to deliver assistance, and many people still risk their lives to obtain scarce food.
In recent days, more than 100 international aid organizations have called for access to people in need, citing tons of unused food, clean water, medical supplies, shelter, and fuel. However, the Israeli government spokesman has denied the existence of a "famine" in the Gaza Strip but acknowledged the existence of hunger.
Meanwhile, thousands of residents are living on only one meal a day due to the high cost of food and scarcity. Six-year-old Adam often wakes up crying from hunger at night, and his mother's 14-year-old brother died from the effects of hunger.
The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation states that American and local helpers are present daily to distribute aid. However, residents report violence and chaos in the distribution of aid packages, and some have been killed while trying to get food.
The United Nations has set fixed guidelines for declaring a famine, but assessing these criteria is challenging in the Gaza Strip due to ongoing Israeli attacks and the constant displacement of the population. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns of a deadly hunger crisis in the Gaza Strip, with at least 21 children under the age of five having died from malnutrition since the beginning of the year.
The WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, states that the 2.1 million people in Gaza are facing starvation. In response, thousands marched in Tel Aviv to protest the Gaza war, displaying photos of children from the Gaza Strip who are said to have died from hunger-related causes and carrying sacks of flour to highlight the crisis in Gaza.
Despite the challenges, aid organizations are working tirelessly to provide emergency assistance to those in need. Ross Smith, Director of Emergency Operations at the World Food Programme (WFP), stated that people are dying daily due to the lack of humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. The WFP has reported that malnutrition is rapidly increasing in the Gaza Strip, and 90,000 women and children urgently need medical treatment.
In the face of this crisis, international aid organizations are urging the Israeli government to lift the blockade and allow safe access for aid workers and supplies to reach the people of Gaza. Only then can the situation begin to improve, and the people of Gaza can start to rebuild their lives and recover from this devastating hunger crisis.
- The ongoing crisis in the Gaza Strip has expanded beyond food insecurity, with mental-health issues escalating due to the stress and fear of the situation.
- In the realm of policy-and-legislation, calls for an end to the Israeli blockade have become louder, with politics playing a significant role in determining the fate of the inhabitants of Gaza.
- The health-and-wellness sector is severely strained, not only due to the lack of food but also the shortage of medicine, highlighting the importance of general-news coverage to create awareness about their plight.
- Accidents related to the conflict, such as damage to infrastructure and distribution points, exacerbate the already challenging situation in Gaza, resulting in further hardships for its residents.
- In an effort to draw attention to the crisis, organizations focus on fitness-and-exercise initiatives to raise funds for emergency aid, creating a connection between war-and-conflicts and the health benefits of physical activity.
- Nutrition specialists are concerned about the long-term effects of the current crisis on Gaza's children, as they face the risk of malnutrition and its impact on their overall health and well-being.
