Gaza Faces Starvation as Israel Intensifies War on Hamas – Reuters

By Arafat Barbakh and Emma Farge

In the war-torn and difficult-to-access northern Gaza, aid deliveries are becoming increasingly rare, often met with overwhelming demand from starving residents. Aid workers report that many people appear visibly malnourished, some with sunken eyes and extreme thinness.

The entire Gaza Strip is grappling with severe food shortages. This small enclave, home to 2.3 million people, has been under Israeli bombardment since October 7 as part of the ongoing conflict with Hamas militants. The United Nations has recently warned that certain areas of Gaza are facing the threat of famine.

While regions near the Egyptian border receive limited supplies of food, the northern and central parts of Gaza, where the fighting has been most intense, face extreme crisis, according to humanitarian workers. Sean Casey, a coordinator with the World Health Organization in Gaza, described the food situation in the north as "absolutely horrific," noting that conversations with locals often revolve around their desperate need for sustenance.

Currently, comprehensive data on hunger is lacking due to the ongoing violence, and aid agencies are finding it challenging to assess malnutrition levels. They plan to use measurements around children’s arms to check for signs of wasted body mass.

A previous U.N. report in December indicated that the entire population of Gaza was facing significant levels of hunger, with an increasing risk of famine. In hospitals across Gaza, medical professionals report distressing cases: babies born with health issues due to malnourished mothers, infants losing weight, and mothers struggling to produce breast milk. There are injured patients who are too weak from hunger to resist infections.

In one hospital ward in Rafah, a pediatric doctor highlighted a concerning case of a baby whose weight had dropped from 7.5 kg (16.5 pounds) to just 5.5 kg (12 pounds) in a month and a half. The doctor explained how malnutrition severely impacts immunity and leads to recurring infections.

UNICEF has projected that in the coming weeks, over 10,000 children in Gaza are at risk of severe wasting, one of the most harmful effects of malnutrition that can hinder physical growth and brain development. A British surgeon working in central Gaza noted the alarming sight of many malnourished individuals, often sitting in despair.

Reports from WHO doctors corroborate these observations, with particular emphasis on the plight of children and the elderly. Many people have resorted to begging for food, miming eating gestures to express their desperation.

Following a deadly Hamas attack that resulted in the loss of over 1,200 lives, Israel halted all supplies to Gaza. While some humanitarian aid has been allowed in since then, the volume is significantly less than what was available prior to the onset of hostilities. Health authorities in Gaza report that at least 25,700 Palestinians have died since October 7, exacerbating the urgency for aid.

Aid organizations criticize Israeli military measures, alleging they hinder the distribution of essential supplies within Gaza, particularly outside the southern region of Rafah. Despite the Israeli government’s insistence that humanitarian aid is not being restricted, the World Food Programme has pointed to systematic limitations that hinder aid access in the north. The U.N.’s humanitarian agency has stated that only about a quarter of necessary aid deliveries have been approved.

Desperation is palpable, as the U.N. refugees agency estimates that around 200,000 individuals remain in northern Gaza. Verified social media footage has captured chaotic scenes of crowds scrambling for limited aid.

In a striking anecdote, a young boy approached a British surgeon in a hospital, sharing that he hadn’t eaten in three days and had lost his entire family. Even those in southern Gaza are not spared from hunger; residents have resorted to grinding animal feed to bake barely edible bread.

Many Palestinians report going days without food or subsisting on just one meal daily, with available food often priced beyond their reach. The most pressing concern remains severe acute malnutrition, which occurs when individuals lack essential nutrients for bodily function—children, in particular, are at the greatest risk of fatality.

Before the outbreak of hostilities, residents like Mariam in Gaza City provided their families with a nutritious breakfast. Today, meals consist primarily of meager portions, with some recently paying exorbitant prices for eggs in one of the few markets still operational—a stark contrast to the bounty they once had.