The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached alarming new levels, with at least 21 children reported dead from starvation or malnutrition within just 72 hours, according to medical sources in the enclave. Humanitarian organizations are warning of an unfolding famine amid ongoing Israeli military operations and severe restrictions on aid deliveries.
A coalition of over 100 NGOs — including Médecins Sans Frontières, Caritas, Amnesty International, Doctors of the World, and Oxfam — issued a joint statement this week, describing the situation as catastrophic and calling for an immediate ceasefire. “As famine spreads across Gaza, both our staff and the people we serve are growing increasingly weak,” the organizations stated.
Aid Deliveries Blocked Despite Critical Needs
The humanitarian community continues to face extraordinary obstacles in delivering life-saving assistance. The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), one of the largest independent aid groups operating in Gaza, said on Tuesday to Reuters that its supplies have run out, and that some of its own staff are now starving.
“There is nothing left,” said NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland in a video interview with Reuters from Oslo. He accused Israel of paralyzing the organization’s ability to operate effectively, noting that for the past 145 days, the NRC has been unable to deliver tents, water, food, sanitation supplies, or educational materials.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has also reported that some of its Palestinian staff and doctors have fainted from hunger while trying to continue their work in Gaza.
Israel: Aid Flow Increasing, But Challenges Remain
In response, Israel’s military liaison agency for Palestinian affairs, COGAT, stated that it is working with international organizations to improve the aid distribution system. According to COGAT, more than 4,500 aid trucks carrying food for the UN and other humanitarian agencies have entered Gaza over the past two months. However, humanitarian groups on the ground argue that access remains limited and dangerously inconsistent.
Complicating efforts further, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) claimed that the deadliest attacks on aid distribution have been linked to UN convoy operations. On Sunday, at least 67 Palestinians were reportedly killed by Israeli fire while waiting for UN aid trucks in northern Gaza, adding to the growing death toll in a conflict that has now lasted nearly 22 months.
Since late May, over 1,000 people have reportedly been killed while trying to access food, mostly near aid distribution centers operated by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). The UN Human Rights Office has accused the Israeli military of responsibility for these deaths.
The GHF, a nonprofit organization supported by both the U.S. and Israel, also places blame on the Hamas movement, claiming that its fighters have exploited the crisis, stolen food supplies, and even fired on crowds waiting for aid.
Despite Israeli claims that aid deliveries are permitted, NGOs report severe restrictions and logistical barriers. According to their joint statement, “Tons of food, drinking water, medical supplies, shelter materials, and fuel remain unused in warehouses just outside and even inside Gaza, because humanitarian organizations are blocked from accessing and distributing them.”
Ongoing Conflict Driving Hunger and Destruction
Since the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 — which killed 1,219 people, mostly civilians — Israel has vowed to destroy the group. In retaliation, its military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of at least 59,106 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, figures that the United Nations deems credible.
The Israeli-imposed blockade, in effect since March and only slightly eased in late May, continues to restrict food, fuel, medicine, and other essential supplies. Despite Israel’s assurances that aid is permitted, NGOs report that access to stored relief — including food, water, and medical supplies already inside or near Gaza — remains heavily obstructed.
