The situation in Gaza has reached an acute humanitarian crisis, with at least 33 people—mostly children—dying from malnutrition in just the past 48 hours, according to the Hamas-run health ministry. This brings the total number of malnutrition-related deaths since the war began in October 2023 to 101, including 80 children.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees), described the crisis as “hell on earth,” stating that even humanitarian workers are collapsing from hunger and exhaustion. UNRWA estimates that about 1,000 starving people have died trying to access aid since late May, either from gunfire or stampedes while reaching aid trucks.
Israel imposed a complete blockade on Gaza on March 2 after ceasefire talks failed. While some aid trucks were permitted from late May, the flow remains critically low. UNRWA says it has enough stockpiled aid outside Gaza to feed the entire population for three months, but it has not been allowed to enter. Inside Gaza, food prices have skyrocketed by up to 40 times.
Israel maintains that it is facilitating aid and blames Hamas for obstructing its distribution—an assertion disputed by several humanitarian organizations on the ground.
This unfolding catastrophe underscores the severe consequences of restricted aid access in conflict zones, especially for vulnerable populations like children.
