Starvation is tightening its grip on Gaza as residents face extreme food shortages under Israel’s ongoing blockade, which has lasted for nearly 22 months.
Charity kitchens are overwhelmed, and families are left with empty pots as they struggle to feed their children.
At a charity kitchen in Gaza City, Umm Abdullah, a mother of a two-year-old, shared her harrowing experience: “Here’s my pot – it doesn’t even have a single crumb. I went home with an empty pot to see my daughter screaming because she had no food or bread.” She recalled how chaos often breaks out at food distribution sites. “A pot spilled on me and I was burned, so I left with nothing,” she added.
Another resident, Riham Dwas, described the uncertainty of securing meals. “Sometimes I get food and sometimes I don’t. My children eat if there is a charity kitchen running, but if there isn’t, then they don’t,” she said.
Catastrophic Hunger Crisis
According to humanitarian reports, nearly 500,000 Palestinians are facing catastrophic hunger. At least 123 people have died from malnutrition, including 84 children and infants, with most deaths occurring since March when Israel imposed a total blockade on the enclave.
The latest victim of this humanitarian disaster is infant Zainab Abu Halib, who died of severe malnutrition after her family was unable to find or afford baby formula. “We saw her dying slowly every day due to lack of food and medical treatment,” her family said. Local hospitals, already overwhelmed and under-resourced, were unable to provide any treatment.
17,000 Children Severely Malnourished
Dr. Mohammed Abu Afash, director of Medical Relief in Gaza, has warned of a rapidly escalating crisis:
“Seventeen thousand children are currently suffering from severe malnutrition. The situation is deteriorating day by day, and we are in the fifth stage of famine.”
He stressed that the shortage of infant milk and medical supplies is leading to critical health complications among children. “If medicines and medical supplies are not delivered immediately, the death rate will accelerate,” he cautioned.
Humanitarian agencies report that no aid has entered Gaza for the past five months, leaving the population without sufficient food, clean water, or medical support.
