Catastrophic Starvation Risk for Millions in Gaza

For 18 months, Israel's blockade and military actions in Gaza have created a dire humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 14,000 babies at risk of death without immediate aid. The United Nations has warned of an impending starvation crisis, with only nine trucks allowed into Gaza on the first day of the resumption of aid, despite the need for around 500 trucks daily. The crisis is not new, as pre-existing food insecurity and restrictions on food imports have long plagued the territory.

Key Takeaways:

• The blockade of Gaza, imposed by Israel and enabled by Egypt since 2007, has made life difficult for Palestinians, with 65% of people in Gaza being food insecure as of 2022, according to a U.N. report.
• Israel's military response to the Hamas attacks of October 2023 has worsened the situation, with an estimated 53,000 Palestinians dying and 120,000 injured in the conflict.
• The blockade and subsequent destruction of infrastructure have made food sovereignty in Gaza nearly impossible, with fishermen regularly shot at by Israeli gunboats and farmland inaccessible to Palestinians.
• The Israeli government has admitted to putting Palestinians "on a diet" and has commissioned reports on caloric intake to avoid malnutrition.
• The use of starvation as a weapon is forbidden under the Geneva Conventions, and Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war.
• The World Health Organization estimates that 57 children have died from malnutrition since the beginning of the March 2 blockade, and half a million people in Gaza are projected to face starvation by September 2025.

Statistics:

• An estimated 14,000 babies are at risk of death without immediate aid.
• Only nine trucks were allowed into Gaza on the first day of the resumption of aid, against a daily need of around 500 trucks.
• 65% of people in Gaza were food insecure as of 2022, according to a U.N. report.
• An estimated 53,000 Palestinians have died and 120,000 have been injured in the conflict.
• 57 children have died from malnutrition since the beginning of the March 2 blockade.
• Half a million people in Gaza are projected to face starvation by September 2025.

Sources:

• U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
• Oxfam International
• Ha'aretz
• The Conversation U.S.
• World Health Organization
• Human Rights Watch
• Amnesty International