More than 60,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health. The conflict, combined with a harsh blockade, has pushed the region into a devastating humanitarian crisis, with famine, malnutrition, and mass displacement spreading rapidly.
The latest report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warns that Gaza has now reached “worst-case” famine conditions. One in three people are reportedly going without food for days, and children are dying from severe hunger and lack of medical care.
More than 20,000 children have been treated for acute malnutrition since April, and at least 3,000 of them are in critical condition, suffering from severe wasting. According to doctors in Gaza, many babies are arriving at hospitals with no muscle or fat—just skin on bone.
“Malnutrition affects everything—brain development, the heart, and even the immune system,” said Dr. Tanya Haj Hassan of Doctors Without Borders. Even when food becomes available, recovery is not guaranteed, and many children still die from organ failure or infections.
Despite international calls for a ceasefire, Israel continues its military operations across the Gaza Strip. At least 83 Palestinians, including 33 aid seekers, were killed in a recent attack in central Gaza. Witnesses say Israel used tanks, drones, and even booby-trapped robots during the assault.
Many Palestinians have been shot while trying to collect aid from distribution points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a controversial group backed by the United States. One reporter in Deir el-Balah described scenes of injured civilians bleeding on the ground while trying to find food.
In response to the worsening crisis, the United Kingdom and France have begun airdropping supplies into Gaza. The UK sent nearly £500,000 worth of essential items, while France announced a drop of 40 tonnes of aid in coordination with Jordan.
But aid groups and rights organizations warn that airdropping is not a sustainable or safe solution. They continue to demand the opening of land crossings, which would allow larger amounts of food and medicine to reach people faster and more securely.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres described the situation as a “humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions.” He has demanded immediate and unrestricted aid access, the release of all captives, and a permanent ceasefire.
“The trickle of aid must become an ocean,” Guterres said. “This is no longer a warning. It’s a deadly reality unfolding before our eyes.”
The IPC has projected that by September 2025, unless the siege is lifted and the military campaign stops, all of Gaza’s population will suffer from extreme food shortages, with more than half a million people in life-threatening starvation.
The war in Gaza has already caused enormous human suffering, with 60,000 lives lost and a population now starving under siege. As international pressure builds, urgent global action is needed to stop the violence, open humanitarian routes, and begin the long process of recovery.
