Children in Gaza are dying from hunger as a result of acute shortages in food and essential nutrition, amid an escalating humanitarian crisis triggered by the ongoing Israeli blockade. The situation has left the population unable to meet basic needs for survival, including access to food, medicine, and healthcare.
Speaking on the sidelines of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, the World Health Organization’s Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, Dr Hanan Balkhy, stated that Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure has been decimated. According to her remarks, shortages in medicines, vaccines and medical supplies now exceed 40 per cent, with the healthcare system nearing total collapse.
Dr Balkhy noted that at least 51 aid trucks carrying food and medical supplies were waiting at the border but had not been permitted entry, exacerbating the already dire conditions within the besieged territory.
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza extends beyond direct military bombardment. The ongoing blockade, now in its 18th year and intensified over the past three months, has pushed the population of 2.4 million people toward famine. Civilians face extreme deprivation of food, medicine and essential services, as basic infrastructure has been systematically destroyed.
These developments constitute a grave violation of international humanitarian law, particularly the prohibition against starvation as a method of warfare. The deliberate targeting of civilian infrastructure has been observed alongside efforts to forcibly displace the population, further intensifying the humanitarian emergency.
Reports from the ground indicate that children and women are dying from hunger, malnutrition and lack of access to medical care. Disease outbreaks have also surged due to inadequate sanitation and medicine shortages. The destruction of hospitals and the collapse of public health services are contributing to a rising civilian death toll.
In many cases, civilians attempting to access humanitarian aid at distribution points have come under direct fire. Such attacks have led to further casualties and are obstructing the delivery of life-saving assistance to those in greatest need.
The continuing blockade has imposed severe isolation on Gaza, impeding humanitarian access and deepening the crisis. Alongside the destruction caused by military operations, the siege is contributing to mass displacement and threatens large-scale forced population transfers, in violation of international legal protections.
These developments illustrate what rights monitors describe as an ongoing campaign of collective punishment, amounting to a policy of population destruction. The death of children from hunger is a stark indicator of a humanitarian system in collapse, and of the urgent need for unimpeded aid delivery.
The severity of the situation imposes a clear and urgent responsibility on the international community to act. Immediate measures are needed to lift the blockade, end hostilities, protect civilians and ensure unrestricted humanitarian access to prevent further loss of life in Gaza.
