Gaza, July26,2025:Malnutrition has reached alarming levels. Nearly 90,000 women and children require urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition
Gaza hunger crisis grips millions
Gaza hunger crisis is no longer a looming threat—it has become a catastrophic reality for Gazans. According to the World Food Programme (WFP), nearly one in three residents in the Gaza Strip have gone days without food, while acute malnutrition surges and thousands die from hunger‑related causes.
Gaza hunger crisis – scale and impact
Acute malnutrition among children and women
Malnutrition has reached alarming levels. Nearly 90,000 women and children require urgent treatment for severe acute malnutrition. Nearly 100,000 suffer life‑threatening conditions due to hunger and poor nutrition. Cases of malnutrition among children under five have soared—tripling in some clinics—with many requiring therapeutic interventions unavailable due to shortages.
Rising starvation deaths
Gaza’s Health Ministry reports that at least 122 people have died from starvation since the conflict escalated, including 80 children, with nine more reported in just one day. WFP reports over 700,000 displaced people, and estimates that approximately 470,000 individuals now face “catastrophic hunger” (IPC Phase 5).
Gaza hunger crisis — Aid blockade and deadly access barriers
Aid‑seeker fatalities near distribution points
Since May, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed while attempting to access food aid. These deaths often occur near facilities run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has taken over aid distribution with Israeli‑backed oversight.
At least 115 people were shot dead in a single incident near aid sites, and 19 deaths from starvation were reported within 24 hours in conjunction with the siege and restricted supply flows.
Humanitarian access bottlenecks
Aid distributions average just 28 trucks per day, far below the minimum 100‑150 trucks needed to meet basic survival needs for Gaza’s two million residents. Israel claims there is no restriction on assistance, but UN and aid agencies report severe operational hurdles: checkpoints, convoy denials, insecurity, and opaque allocation systems.
International outrage and mounting pressure
UN and WHO declarations
WHO Director‑General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared: “There is mass starvation in Gaza … rates of acute malnutrition exceed 10 %” and described it as a “man‑made catastrophe.” Aid agencies including MSF, Oxfam, and Save the Children joined in moral condemnation and appealed to Israel to end the siege and return UN‑led aid mechanisms.
Calls from European governments
On July 25, the UK, France and Germany demanded an “immediate end” to Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe, urging Israel to lift aid blockades and back ceasefire negotiations. France additionally pledged to recognize Palestinian statehood by September, increasing diplomatic pressure. UN Secretary‑General Guterres and ICRC also warned of global inaction constituting a moral failure.
Gaza hunger crisis – What needs to happen
- Scale up aid flows: WFP has urged entry of at least 100‑150 aid trucks daily, unimpeded by checkpoints or armed interference.
- Restore UN‑led distribution: Return oversight to UN agencies rather than the controversial GHF system, to ensure transparency and safety.
- Safe access corridors & ceasefire: A negotiated ceasefire and defined safe routes for aid convoys are essential to reduce deaths and maldistribution.
- Scale therapeutic nutrition programs: Operational hospitals, clinics, and supply chains must be prioritized to treat severe malnutrition, particularly among children and pregnant women.
Gaza hunger crisis demands global response
The Gaza hunger crisis is unfolding in front of the world—mass starvation, malnutrition, blocked aid, and deadly violence at food sites. It is not an incidental consequence of war, but a deeply tragic humanitarian breakdown. Global leaders, aid agencies, and civil society must rise now to scale assistance, secure access, and save lives. The cost of delay is measured in death.
