At least 122 Palestinians, including 83 children, have lost their lives to hunger since March 2025 according to Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry reports. Malnutrition and starvation caused by an ongoing blockade imposed by Israel have directly contributed to these fatalities; The Washington Post + Anadolu Ajansi + WAFA Agency published reports detailing alarming mortality trends within Gaza since then (escalating mortality, alarming trends etc). Over the past 24 hours alone, nine more individuals – two children–have died from hunger-related causes, bringing the total deaths associated with hunger to 122. Aid workers report that infants as young as one are arriving at overwhelmed hospitals suffering from life-threatening dehydration and weight loss, with some even expressing an extraordinary wish: that food would wait in heaven (Wikipedia +15, Truthout +15 and the New York Post all reported this phenomenon). Worsening Nutritional Crisis The increase in deaths reflect an overall trend of sharply rising malnutrition. Over 5,000 children received treatment between January and July 2025; but UNICEF estimates over 70,000 Gaza children now face acute malnutrition. MSF reported that one in four children and pregnant or breastfeeding women now suffer from serious undernutrition, and rates among children under five had tripled within two weeks (ReliefWeb +15; ABC News +15 and Cadena Ser). Collapse of Aid Delivery and Supplies The UN and humanitarian agencies have warned of impending famine. UNICEF and WHO estimate that lifesaving Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) could run out by mid-August unless shipment volumes significantly increase; currently enough remains for treating around 3,000 malnourished children. Blockading of Gaza has devastated its food infrastructure: bakeries, mills and granaries have been destroyed or rendered inoperable; residents relying solely on limited amounts of aid which increasingly disrupt their lives (Sources: +972 Magazine and Wikipedia). Humanitarian Agencies Sound Alarm Medical professionals on the ground describe unprecedented suffering. At Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital alone, 21 children died within three days due to starvation-related illnesses – overwhelming intensive care wards and pediatric clinics throughout Gaza City and Enclave. Cbs News will share these alarming figures. Aid workers say Gaza’s crisis has sent it spiraling downward into poverty and hunger is now more dangerous than direct casualties from attacks, according to UNICEF and AP News (plus 15 more on their respective sites) reports. International Agencies Urge Immediate Aid Access Numerous international agencies–UNRWA, OCHA and global NGOs–have issued urgent calls for immediate and unfettered humanitarian access in Gaza. Critiques have voiced growing criticism against Israel’s restrictions as well as chaotic operations at aid distribution points run under the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), whose chaotic operations breach fundamental principles of neutrality and effectiveness (The Washington Post/TIME, among others). UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned of famine “knocking at every door” in Gaza (Haaretz/CBS News). Recent statistics illustrate a humanitarian disaster quickly becoming uncontrollable in Gaza, as malnutrition becomes widespread and supplies run dry, endangering its children even further. How the international community reacts in coming days could determine whether any additional lives are lost to starvation.
