Mass starvation spreads across the besieged enclave as aid distribution remains severely restricted.
The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza has reached devastating new depths, with at least 33 people, including 21 children, dying from malnutrition in just the past 72 hours, according to health officials and hospital directors across the Palestinian territory.
Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, head of Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, confirmed that the child deaths were recorded at major medical facilities including Al-Shifa, Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir el-Balah, and Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The grim milestone brings the total number of starvation-related deaths since October 2023 to 111, with 80 of those being children.
"We are heading towards alarming numbers of deaths due to the starvation inflicted on the people of Gaza," Dr. Abu Salmiya told reporters, adding that new cases of severe malnutrition arrive at hospitals "every moment."
The crisis has prompted more than 100 international aid organisations, including Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières, to issue an urgent joint statement warning that "mass starvation is spreading across Gaza." The organisations describe Palestinians as being "trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions."
UN Secretary-General António Guterres painted a stark picture of the deteriorating situation, telling the Security Council that "starvation is knocking on every door" and warning that "the last lifelines keeping people alive are collapsing."
Despite these alarming developments, aid distribution remains critically limited. The humanitarian groups report that only an average of 28 truckloads of aid are being distributed daily across Gaza – a fraction of the minimum 600 trucks per day that the UN previously identified as necessary to feed the territory's 2.1 million residents.
Israel maintains that significant quantities of aid are available inside Gaza, with military spokesperson Nadav Shoshani sharing footage of what he claimed was aid from "950 trucks' worth" waiting for international organisations to collect and distribute. However, aid agencies say they face severe restrictions and safety concerns that prevent effective distribution.
Dr. Rik Peeperkorn, WHO representative for the West Bank and Gaza, described witnessing children who "look like they're two when they're five" due to severe malnutrition. He noted that nearly 30,000 children in Gaza are currently malnourished.
The situation has become so dire that even aid workers are going hungry. Dr. Deirdre Nunan, a Canadian orthopaedic surgeon working at Nasser Hospital, reported that "our nurses don't have enough energy to stand up for the duration of their shift."
Basic food prices have skyrocketed beyond most families' reach, with residents reporting they need 600 Israeli shekels (£133) daily just for lentils and one loaf of bread items that would cost roughly £3.25 in UK supermarkets.
As international pressure mounts for immediate action, the humanitarian organisations are calling for a permanent ceasefire, lifting of all restrictions, and a return to UN-led humanitarian operations to prevent further deaths from preventable starvation.
