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Since March 2, the Israeli regime has suspended all aid to the Gaza Strip, and while a limited amount of assistance has trickled in since late May, access to humanitarian aid remains severely constrained. Malnutrition and disease are rampant, putting tens of thousands of children in jeopardy of starvation and dehydration.
Authorities in Gaza have raised an urgent call regarding the ongoing Israeli aid blockade, which has critically depleted essential supplies like baby milk. This alarming situation places over 100,000 children under the age of two—among them 40,000 infants—in jeopardy of life-threatening conditions within a matter of days.
In addition to these deliberate famines, the Israeli regime also attacks individuals seeking food. There are several documented instances where the Israeli regime has shot civilian gatherings in search of nourishment.
For example, on July 19, over 30 people were killed near Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution centers east of Khan Younis after Israeli forces opened fire on crowds of Palestinians waiting for aid. In another incident, on July 12, at least 59 Palestinians were killed when the Israeli military fired near an aid distribution center in southern Gaza.
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Alongside the severe famine in Gaza and the attacks on the hungry Palestinians, the Israeli regime’s airstrikes on other parts of the Gaza Strip continue. More than 100 civilians, including children and women, are killed daily. The extent of these crimes is so severe that even some of Israel’s traditional allies are starting to protest against this regime.
Healthcare professionals report a concerning rise in cases of severe malnutrition, with hospitals overwhelmed and struggling to cater to the escalating crisis due to the deteriorating healthcare infrastructure.
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), more than 6,000 trucks carrying food and medicine are currently blocked at the Egyptian and Jordanian borders and are not allowed to enter Gaza. The Gaza Health Ministry announced on Friday that nine Palestinians, including two children, have died of starvation in the past 24 hours. Since October 7, 2023, the official death toll from hunger and malnutrition has reached 123, of whom 83 were children.
The Gaza Health Ministry, declared, “We are facing a systematic and palpable threat to the lives of infants, whose mothers, desperate have been forced to resort to feeding them water instead of baby milk.”
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Recently, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that more than 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in Gaza last month, with more than 1,000 suffering from acute severe malnutrition. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification indicates that all major areas of Gaza are facing Phase 4 Famine (Emergency Level), meaning households are grappling with significant food shortages, alarming rates of malnutrition, and heightened mortality rates, relying on unsustainable emergency measures to cope.
Since the onset of Israeli aggression on October 7, 2023, over 59,676 lives have been lost, with 143,965 individuals injured, a majority being women and children. The entire population of Gaza has been displaced at least once and is currently living in overcrowded shelters, struggling without basic services.
In these trying times, it’s crucial that we advocate for immediate action to address this humanitarian catastrophe and channel our collective efforts towards bringing relief and hope to those who need it most.
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