Gaza is facing a devastating, man-made humanitarian disaster as the region plunges deeper into mass starvation, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) issuing a dire warning: children are dying, families are wasting away, and lifesaving aid remains blocked just beyond reach. Over 100 global humanitarian organisations and numerous international leaders are calling for urgent intervention to end the aid blockade and prevent the situation from worsening further.

A Crisis Manufactured by Blockade: WHO’s Alarming Declaration

During a recent virtual press conference from Geneva, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the WHO, described the worsening hunger in Gaza as an unmistakable result of human actions.

“I don't know what you would call it other than mass starvation, and it's man-made, and that's very clear. This is because of the blockade,” he said.

Since Israel intensified its siege of Gaza amid its ongoing conflict with Hamas, humanitarian aid has been severely restricted, leading to catastrophic levels of food insecurity and medical shortages. Though Israel insists it is facilitating aid and blames Hamas for hoarding supplies, on-the-ground reports paint a starkly different picture.

Children Are Dying: Malnutrition Spirals Out of Control

The death toll from starvation in Gaza now exceeds 113, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. The WHO has verified that 21 children under the age of five have already died from malnutrition in 2025, while over 30,000 more are suffering from acute malnutrition. These numbers are likely underestimates due to the collapse of health monitoring systems.

In one heartbreaking case, a mother from Deir al-Balah, Dalia Siam, described her family's anguish:

“There come days where we don’t eat for three days in a row — we only live on water. Saaed, my son, has lived for four days now on water and salt. Even when I find something to feed him, it’s starch and water — without sugar.”

Health facilities are overwhelmed, with malnutrition treatment centers filled to capacity and running dangerously low on emergency food supplies. WHO officials report that in July alone, 5,100 children were admitted for malnutrition treatment, including 800 who are severely emaciated.

Mothers, Aid Workers, and Journalists Starve

It’s not just children. WHO estimates that at least 20% of pregnant and breastfeeding women in Gaza are now malnourished. Across the population, 10% of individuals screened are suffering from moderate to severe malnutrition.

Even aid workers and journalists — those who are tasked with helping and documenting the crisis — are now starving.

A joint statement from four major media outlets, including the Associated Press, expressed fear for their reporters in Gaza:

“We are desperately concerned for our journalists, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families.”

Humanitarian organizations echo this dire message. A joint letter signed by over 100 international NGOs — including Save the Children, Médecins Sans Frontières, Oxfam, Amnesty International, and others — accused Israel of preventing humanitarian work, and called for immediate global intervention.

The Numbers Paint a Grim Picture

• Average daily aid delivery: 28 trucks

• Pre-war daily aid needed: 500 trucks

• Total starvation deaths (as of July): At least 113, including over 80 children

• Malnourished children under five: Over 30,000

• Children admitted to WHO malnutrition programs in July: 5,100

• Pregnant women suffering from malnutrition: 1 in 5

• Palestinians killed seeking aid: Over 1,000 since May

• Total Palestinian deaths since the war began: Over 59,000

Aid Blocked While Supplies Sit Idle

Humanitarian agencies report that tons of food, water, shelter items, medical supplies, and fuel are sitting untouched, either within Gaza or just beyond its borders, due to access restrictions and bureaucratic hurdles. The UN-led aid system has effectively collapsed, with workers unable to function safely or at scale.

The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) — a controversial US- and Israeli-backed organization — is now a central figure in aid distribution. UN officials describe its sites as “death traps”. Aid workers risk being shot as they queue for food alongside the civilians they serve. Humanitarian leaders argue that GHF's selective model of distribution, said to prevent Hamas from misappropriating aid, is instead contributing to mass suffering.

Calls for Action: International Pressure Mounts

The world is beginning to respond. On July 21, 28 countries — including the UK, Canada, France, and Australia — issued a joint statement calling Israel’s denial of humanitarian aid “unacceptable.” They also condemned Israeli settler violence and rejected plans to move Palestinians into a so-called “humanitarian city,” which former Israeli officials have likened to a concentration camp.

Still, many critics argue that these statements lack teeth. The humanitarian coalition warned:

“Piecemeal arrangements and symbolic gestures, like airdrops or flawed aid deals, serve as a smokescreen for inaction. States have legal and moral obligations to ensure protection and meaningful access at scale.”

In a bid to secure a ceasefire, US envoy Steve Witkoff is leading negotiations, traveling between Rome and Doha. While diplomatic progress is slowly being made, the death toll continues to rise daily, and starvation claims more lives by the hour.

Israel's Position and International Law

Israel has denied all allegations that it is deliberately targeting civilians or preventing aid. The Israeli military maintains that it coordinates with international organizations to facilitate aid and insists that Hamas is obstructing humanitarian operations.

However, UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly disagrees.

“Malnourishment is soaring. Starvation is knocking on every door. We are witnessing the last gasp of a humanitarian system built on principles of neutrality and compassion,” he warned.
“What is happening in Gaza today represents an utter disregard for — if not outright violation of — international law.”

A Starvation Crisis That Must Be Stopped

The starvation in Gaza is not a tragic consequence of nature — it is a manufactured crisis. With children dying, mothers wasting away, and aid workers themselves starving, the world faces a moral reckoning. The facts are clear, the need is urgent, and the responsibility to act rests with the global community.

The question that now echoes across Gaza and around the world is no longer “What is happening?”
It’s: “Will the world let this continue?”

With inputs from agencies

Image Source: Multiple agencies

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.