At least 15 people, among them four children, have died of
starvation and malnutrition in Gaza within the past 24 hours, according to
Gaza’s Health Ministry. The crisis brings the total malnutrition-related death
toll to 101, including 80 children, since October 2023, amid severe aid
blockades and continuing violence.
Relentless Hunger Claims More Lives in Gaza Strip
At least fifteen Palestinians, including four children,
perished from starvation and malnutrition in Gaza over the past 24 hours,
Gaza’s Health Ministry revealed in a statement on Tuesday. According to
reporting from Anadolu Ajansi, these deaths bring the total number of
fatalities from malnutrition since October 2023 to 101, including 80 children. Medical
sources added that, among the deceased, were a diabetic patient, a young child,
and an infant — all succumbing to severe nutritional deficiencies.
The ongoing conflict and strict border controls have plunged
the population into one of the worst humanitarian crises the region has ever
endured. As reported in ITVX, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres
called the evolving disaster a “horror show”, warning that “malnourishment is
soaring” and “starvation is knocking on every door” of Gaza’s 2.1 million
people.
What Has Triggered the Starvation Crisis in Gaza?
As stated by Anadolu Ajansi, since March 2, 2025, Israel has sealed all border crossings, effectively blocking the entry of food and medical aid. Relief efforts have been unable to meet the dire needs of the population. According to Sky News, Israel, which controls all supplies into Gaza, disputes responsibility for shortages and instead blames the United Nations and Hamas for failure to distribute and protect humanitarian aid. However, agencies and NGOs on the ground, such as the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), have disclosed that their aid stocks
“are completely depleted in Gaza and some staff are starving”,
as NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland declared, “There is nothing left”.
Daily Peril Emerging from Hunger
Correspondents from CBC News highlight testimonies from medical professionals witnessing a dramatic increase in the rate of hunger-related deaths, which are now unprecedented during the 21 months of conflict. Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of Al-Shifa Hospital, confirmed,
“Infants under one year of age suffer from a lack of milk, which leads to a significant decrease in their weight and a decrease in their immunity that makes them vulnerable to diseases”.
The World Food Programme (WFP) reported to the United
Nations Security Council that, as a direct consequence of border closures and
active conflicts, up to a quarter of Gaza’s entire population is facing
famine-like conditions, with close to 100,000 women and children in urgent need
of therapeutic care for severe acute malnutrition.
How Many Have Died and Who Are the Victims?
A Grim Toll on Children
- As
stated by the Gaza Health Ministry to Anadolu Ajansi: 15 deaths
from starvation in the past 24 hours raised the total malnutrition deaths
to 101, of which 80 are children.
- CBC
News reported: Among the latest victims, a six-week-old infant,
Yousef al-Safadi from northern Gaza, and a 13-year-old boy, Abdulhamid
al-Ghalban from Khan Younis, lost their lives, with two other children
unnamed.
- According
to France24, the head of Gaza’s largest hospital said a total of 21
children have died due to malnutrition and starvation since the escalation.
Adult Fatalities and Vulnerable Groups
Dr. Khalil al-Deqran, a spokesperson for the Health
Ministry, stated to CBC News that, besides children, 600,000 individuals —
including at least 60,000 pregnant women — are now suffering from malnutrition. Many
are exhibiting symptoms such as dehydration and anaemia, and hospitals are
“already overwhelmed by the number of casualties from gunfire” and shortage of
basic medical supplies.
Aid Workers Fainting on Duty
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief
and Works Agency (UNRWA), reported harshly to Sky News: “Caretakers, including
UNRWA colleagues in Gaza, are also in need of care now. Doctors, nurses,
journalists, humanitarians, among them. UNRWA staff are hungry. Many are now
fainting due to hunger and exhaustion while performing their duties”.
Reports of Obstruction and Diversion
Israeli authorities contend, as per The Times of Israel and
Sky News, that Hamas has been diverting food aid away from civilians, an
allegation robustly denied by Hamas and the United Nations.
Aid organisations, including the NRC, stress that for nearly
five months, hundreds of truckloads of vital supplies have been unable to enter
the territory. The UN reports that, on average, only 146 trucks of aid
enter Gaza daily — far less than the 600 trucks the US says are needed to meet
the population’s needs.
Desperate Attempts to Receive Food Met with Violence
As covered by the United Nations and ITVX, more than 1,000
Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while attempting to access food
near aid distribution points since the end of May 2025. The World Food
Programme described one recent tragedy: “Victims were simply trying to access
food to feed themselves and their families on the brink of starvation”.
What Do Eyewitnesses and Medics Say About Conditions?
“Everything Around People at the Moment Is Death”
In testimony relayed to the UN and published by Anadolu Ajansi, an UNRWA worker said,
“We’re in the death phase. Everything around people at the moment is death, whether it’s bombs or strikes, children wasting away in front of their eyes from malnourishment, from dehydration, and dying”.
Doctors interviewed by local and international media, such as Dr. Abu Salmiya and Dr. al-Deqran, emphasised that their hospitals are unable to provide even basic treatment for hunger.
“Hospitals are already overwhelmed by gunfire casualties and are unable to provide adequate assistance for hunger-related issues due to shortages of food and medicine,” Dr. al-Deqran told CBC News.
What Are the International Reactions and Diplomatic Developments?
- UN
Secretary-General António Guterres reaffirmed that famine is “knocking on
every door” and declared that humanitarian access and immediate ceasefire
are vital for Gaza.
- The
ICC and ICJ have opened cases concerning war crimes and allegations of
genocide related to the siege and ongoing war in Gaza, as reported by
Anadolu Ajansi.
Government Statements and Global Diplomacy
Britain’s Foreign Minister David Lammy stated to Sky News that London would review developments and may consider further measures:
“We might consider other measures if we do not see the ceasefire that we want to see”.
Negotiations, overseen in Doha, continue indirectly between
Israel and Hamas, aiming for a 60-day ceasefire and hostage release, though
little progress has been reported.
What’s the Outlook for Gaza’s Humanitarian Crisis?
“Starvation as Deadly as Bombardments”
Jan Egeland of NRC, as quoted by Sky News, warned:
“Seeking food has become as deadly as bombardments”,
describing the situation as a
“sadistic death trap”. Children and vulnerable populations bear the
heaviest burden, with testimonies and data repeatedly confirming the urgency
for unimpeded aid flows and a cessation to hostilities.
Philippe Lazzarini’s warning encapsulated the humanitarian system’s failure:
“Now we are seeing the last gasp of a humanitarian system built on humanitarian principles”.
What Are the Immediate Needs on the Ground?
Food, Medicine and Protection
- Aid
agencies and health officials stress the need for continuous, secure food
deliveries: at least 600 aid trucks per day.
- Hospitals,
reporting to CBC News and Anadolu Ajansi, remain overstretched and
incapable of addressing either hunger or injuries caused by ongoing
military operations.
- Safe and sustained humanitarian corridors are essential to prevent further deaths by starvation, a point echoed by the UN, NRC, and WFP.
The hunger crisis in Gaza has intensified to a point where
children are dying at an alarming rate and aid workers themselves are
succumbing to exhaustion and hunger. Despite international outrage and
diplomatic efforts, aid restrictions and violence continue unabated, fuelling
suffering described by multiple humanitarian officials as unprecedented in
recent times. With no sign of a comprehensive ceasefire or sufficient
humanitarian access, Gaza’s most vulnerable populations remain at risk as
starvation and violence continue to claim more lives by the day.