Cindy McCain, the Executive Director of the United Nations World Food Programme, has issued a stark warning, stating “People in Gaza are starving to death right now. The speed at which the hunger and malnutrition crisis – a man-made disaster – has spread in Gaza is horrifying.”
The UN official emphasized that there is an extremely narrow window to prevent a full-scale famine, stressing that immediate and complete access to northern Gaza is necessary. “If we wait until a famine is declared, it will be too late, and thousands more will die,” she warned.
According to the World Food Programme, meeting just the basic food needs requires the entry of at least 300 trucks daily into Gaza for food distribution, especially in the north.
A recent report by the World Food Programme highlights that all inhabitants of Gaza are facing crisis levels of food insecurity or worse. It mentions that half the population, 1.1 million people in Gaza, have completely depleted their food supplies and coping capacities and are suffering from catastrophic hunger.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached a critical point, exacerbated by ongoing conflicts, health crises, and natural disasters. Over 8,000 people require medical treatment outside of Gaza, including for war-related injuries and serious chronic illnesses. The healthcare infrastructure is under immense strain, with reports of hospitals struggling to function due to shortages of fuel, power, and specialized staff. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN agencies have highlighted severe malnutrition and dehydration, particularly among children, with at least 15 children reported to have died from these conditions in a northern Gaza hospital.
The recent bombardment has resumed following a brief pause in hostilities, creating additional displacement and exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The UN has called for renewed efforts for a ceasefire to allow desperately needed aid into Gaza. The health sector, already weakened by years of occupation, faces a dire situation with the spread of epidemics such as smallpox among children and extreme malnutrition.
The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, ensuring humanitarian access, and the provision of essential supplies such as fuel. It also calls for adherence to international humanitarian law by all parties and emphasizes the protection of civilians.
The flooding in Khan Younis, resulting from heavy rains, has further worsened the conditions for the displaced population, with sewage management issues in overcrowded shelters raising disease spread concerns. The situation is so severe that nearly half a million people have been unable to access food rations due to the closure of distribution centers since the onset of attacks on October 7. With only one of five mills functioning, wheat flour reserves are depleting rapidly, and direct damage to livestock and agricultural land has been reported.
UN humanitarians warn that there is simply not enough food to go around, with intense fighting reported in Khan Younis and shelters being over-capacity. The WHO warns that the combination of thousands of injuries, a burgeoning public health crisis, and the concentration of people in shelters creates a recipe for epidemics.
