Children in Gaza perish due to hunger-related causes, accounting for 76 fatalities.
In the Gaza Strip, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding as children are suffering from severe malnutrition and starvation. An Al Jazeera correspondent reported new cases of people, particularly children, showing symptoms of severe fatigue and sudden fainting while searching for flour, highlighting the dire state of affairs.
The Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip has warned that what is happening in Gaza is a systematic starvation policy, a result of the ongoing Israeli siege and military campaign. This conflict deliberately restricts the entry of food, clean water, and humanitarian aid into the territory, causing catastrophic levels of child hunger and starvation.
In the past 48 hours alone, 21 people, mostly children, have died of starvation in the Gaza Strip. Since October 7, 2023, at least 71 children have died of malnutrition, with about 60,000 more children severely undernourished. Hospitals are recording an increasing number of child deaths from starvation, and many more cases of severe malnutrition continue to arrive at Gaza’s remaining hospitals.
Children and families in Gaza are surviving on a single meal a day, leading to psychological trauma and physical exhaustion. The ongoing 21-month conflict has caused over 58,000 deaths in Gaza and widespread child malnutrition and starvation, with many dying while trying to obtain food aid.
The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have sounded urgent alarms about the collapsing lifelines, calling for a ceasefire and unimpeded aid access. UN agencies like UNRWA provide nutritional services but are overwhelmed and under-resourced amid the scale of the crisis. Funding and support are being mobilized through groups such as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, though aid flows remain inadequate and often obstructed.
Amnesty International and other organizations condemn the siege and restrictions as fueling mass starvation, emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian corridors. The international community has issued warnings of a widespread famine in Gaza, and a demonstration was held in Tunis to express solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.
Despite these warnings and humanitarian efforts, the restrictions severely limit aid delivery, keeping the crisis ongoing and worsening with time. The death toll from starvation in Gaza has risen by one in the past 24 hours, with the total number of deaths reaching 87, including 77 children. The latest victim, Raheel Muhammad Rasras, 32, died from complications of severe malnutrition and dehydration at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, Gaza.
The international community must take urgent action to alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza. The blockade of humanitarian aid access must be lifted, and unimpeded aid access must be granted to ensure the survival of the children and families in Gaza.
- The ongoing political conflict in the Gaza Strip, specifically the Israeli siege and military campaign, is resulting in a severe health crisis, with increasing cases of child malnutrition and starvation.
- In addition to the health crisis, the business sector in Gaza is also affected, as the restrictions on aid entry cause catastrophic levels of child hunger and starvation, impacting the local economy.
- The entertainment industry is largely absent in the midst of this humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with news focused on the worsening situation, scientific research conducted on the effects of malnutrition, and calls for aid and a ceasefire.
- The weather in Gaza is less relevant in this context, as the main concern is the lack of clean water and food, exacerbated by the ongoing political and military situation.
- The health-and-wellness sector is struggling to cope with the influx of malnourished children in Gaza. Nutritional services provided by UN agencies like UNRWA are being overwhelmed, leading to a dire need for increased funding and support to address the scale of the crisis.
