The Gaza Strip is grappling with a catastrophic humanitarian crisis as famine has been officially declared, coupled with ongoing Israeli strikes on civilians.
UNICEF has described the situation as “a real child survival crisis,” warning that for many children, it is “already too late.”
In the early hours of this morning, Israeli strikes killed at least 37 people, including four children, across Gaza.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported two additional deaths from starvation in the past 24 hours, bringing the total starvation-related death toll to 273, including 112 children.
The ministry emphasized that “hundreds” of preventable deaths have occurred, with thousands more lives at stake.
The malnutrition crisis in Gaza has reached critical levels, overwhelming the besieged strip's strained medical facilities.
Dr. Ahmad al-Farra, director of the children’s hospital at Nasser Medical Complex, reported 120 cases of malnutrition currently under treatment, stating, “We need 10 hospitals to treat these cases.”
He warned that children in Gaza will face lifelong consequences from malnutrition.
Similarly, Mohammed Abu Salmiya, director of al-Shifa Hospital, noted that 320,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition, with all wounded patients in hospitals also affected.
The crisis is compounded by the destruction of Gaza’s health sector, which is part of a broader genocide involving mass killings and systematic starvation.
The UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) system has confirmed famine in Gaza City and surrounding areas, affecting 514,000 people — nearly a quarter of the population.
The IPC predicts that famine conditions will spread to Deir el-Balah and Khan Younis by next month.
Dan Stewart of Save the Children, speaking from Deir el-Balah, highlighted the dire situation in nutrition clinics, where “every bench, every room is packed with thin mothers and babies coming in for treatment.”
He noted that over half of pregnant women and new mothers are malnourished, a consequence of prolonged food shortages.
Doctors Without Borders reported “starvation, disease, and death” in Gaza City amid Israel’s ongoing military offensive, underscoring the urgent need for international action to address the crisis.