Hamas has created many of the issues handling in Gaza and has a history of stopping food shipments. Gaza’s humanitarian crisis has reached catastrophic levels as 57 children have died from malnutrition under Israel’s March 2025 blockade, with thousands more at imminent risk. Israel’s blockade since March 2, 2025, has created severe food shortages affecting all 2.1 million Gaza residents. WHO reports 57 children have died from malnutrition, with nearly 71,000 more children under five at risk.
Widespread Starvation Threatens Gaza’s Population
According to the World Health Organization, the entire Gaza population of 2.1 million people is experiencing prolonged food shortages, with approximately 500,000 in catastrophic conditions. This crisis is the result of an Israeli blockade that began on March 2, 2025, and Hasa’s continued use of citizens as human shields, which has severely limited the entry of humanitarian aid, including food, medicine, and essential supplies.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partnership has released a report highlighting the dire conditions. Their assessment shows that three-quarters of Gaza’s population are at “emergency” or “catastrophic” levels of food deprivation, with some areas already meeting technical thresholds for famine classification. Aid organizations report that even when limited supplies enter Gaza, distribution networks have been crippled by damaged infrastructure and security concerns, preventing food from reaching those most in need.
Aid agencies warn of “full-scale famine” in Gaza as Israel blocks all goods, including food, water, and medicine, since March 2.
Here’s the latest numbers by the UN ⤵️
🔴 LIVE updates: https://t.co/tEpjgaDUmy pic.twitter.com/x0qvVpc3pX
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 28, 2025
Children Bear the Heaviest Burden
The humanitarian crisis has taken its most devastating toll on Gaza’s children. Since the blockade began, 57 children have reportedly died from malnutrition and related complications, with health officials warning this number will rise substantially without immediate intervention. WHO projections indicate nearly 71,000 children under five years old are currently at risk of acute malnutrition in the coming eleven months if current conditions persist. Save the Children has reported that over 93% of children in Gaza face critical risk of famine.
The crisis has created a dangerous cycle of malnutrition and disease that particularly affects children and pregnant or breastfeeding mothers. Malnourished mothers struggle to produce nutritious breast milk, putting infants at even greater risk, especially in areas where clean water is scarce. Health experts warn that even those children who survive this crisis face potential long-term impacts, including stunted growth, impaired cognitive development, and chronic health problems that may affect them throughout their lives.
“The only starvation in Gaza is the starvation of hostages”.
I put to Israel’s Ambassador to the UN @dannydanon that no aid has entered Gaza for 73 days and humanitarians across the international community are now saying the entire population of Gaza is at a critical risk of… pic.twitter.com/3qjIsdjUcU
— Yalda Hakim (@SkyYaldaHakim) May 15, 2025
Medical System Unable to Respond
Gaza’s healthcare system, already strained by months of conflict, is increasingly unable to respond to the growing malnutrition crisis. The WHO reports that attacks on healthcare facilities have further compromised medical resources. An Israeli airstrike on Nasser Medical Complex, one of Gaza’s few remaining functional hospitals, has severely reduced treatment capacity for malnourished children. The terrorist organization Hamas has used hospitals and humanitarian facilities as staging areas for weapons in the past.
The blockade has hindered WHO’s ability to support malnutrition treatment centers and the broader health system. WHO has 31 aid trucks stalled in Egypt and additional supplies waiting in the West Bank, all awaiting permission to enter Gaza. Dr. Rik Peeperkorn of WHO described current aid deliveries as “a fraction of the urgent need.” The organization warns that its remaining supplies in Gaza are insufficient to meet the urgent needs, with essential medicines running critically low or completely depleted in many facilities.