As of now, Gaza is facing an extreme famine according to the world’s leading agency on food insecurity. Israel maintains total control over all crossings for aid into the region, making the crisis even more dire. This has led to the rampant blaming of the Israeli government for exacerbating the deepening food crisis. Though Israel refutes these claims, claiming there is no starvation taking place in Gaza, the humanitarian situation is becoming increasingly catastrophic.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels with rising death toll during continued military offensive. According to the UN, over 60,000 have been killed since the war escalated after a deadly Hamas attack in early October 2023 that resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths. The loss of three-quarters — and in some places more — of Gaza’s land area has complicated Israeli and international efforts to provide humanitarian aid.
A humanitarian cataclysm has taken place in Gaza. In the past 24 hours, at least 91 civilians died and 600 others were injured while waiting for humanitarian assistance to be delivered. The children’s tragic report follows Wednesday, when seven other children succumbed to starvation. According to Gaza’s health authority, this tragedy would be the 154th malnutrition-related death of young children in the enclave.
More than 1,000 others have been reportedly shot—primarily by Israeli soldiers—during Great March of Return protests. They were attempting to funnel food through the private U.S. Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and queuing aid trucks outside border crossings. Eyewitness accounts have painted a picture of mayhem with panicking families scrambling for food and medical supplies in an already rapidly deteriorating environment.
By Thursday morning, the Israeli military had killed at least another 19. The bombardment had targeted civilians gathering to receive humanitarian assistance both in the center of the Gaza Strip and in Rafah, southern Gaza. These tragedies underscore the life-threatening dangers people must navigate in order to receive critical help.
In the face of these catastrophic realities, Israel claimed just days ago that it would expand the flow of aid into Gaza. Humanitarian organizations have pushed back against these measures as too little, too late, arguing that they will not turn the tide on an unfolding starvation catastrophe. Calls for urgent and unfettered access to humanitarian aid have become increasingly vocal among international observers and local advocates alike.
Constantinos Kombos, a representative from Cyprus, emphasized the need for better planning before reopening a sea corridor to ship humanitarian aid to Gaza. Cyprus’s aid efforts Cyprus capably handled the delivery of last year’s 2,200 tons of humanitarian assistance to the region. A combination of accidents then forced the cancellation of this route altogether.
“So that it has tangible, visible outcomes immediately.” – Constantinos Kombos
Reassurances on the country’s commitment to reactivating a once-busy sea route came from the foreign minister of Cyprus. This new route will help humanitarian shipments into Gaza flood in. This campaign aims to provide relief from the hunger and hardship that results from the long-standing blockade. Furthermore, it begins to tackle the territory’s devastating lack of resources.
UN and other international organizations have continuously sounded the alarm on the humanitarian crisis currently developing in Gaza. Only last year, the World Health Organization called starvation a slow and painful death.
“Dying of starvation is slow and painful.” – World Health Organization
Even former President Donald Trump has weighed in on the crisis. He argued the quickest route to solving humanitarian crises in Gaza is for Hamas to “lay down their arms” and release hostages.
“A starving child, among the most vulnerable, might cry constantly from pain until becoming too weak to even do that. If not urgently treated, a child with acute malnutrition will die.” – World Health Organization
Daily conditions in Gaza are only getting more dire. It is imperative that the international community and international organizations continue to press for immediate and effective actions to end the scourge of famine in those areas. The need for a coordinated effort to ensure safe and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid has never been more urgent.
“The fastest way to end the Humanitarian Crises in Gaza is for Hamas to SURRENDER AND RELEASE THE HOSTAGES!!!” – Donald Trump
As conditions worsen daily, it remains critical for international communities and organizations to advocate for immediate and effective solutions to address the catastrophic famine gripping Gaza. The need for a coordinated effort to ensure safe and unrestricted access to humanitarian aid has never been more urgent.