Pressley and Pettersen Slam Rubio's Silence on Urgent Aid and Infant Formula to Gaza

Strategic Insights -

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Massachusetts, and Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen have issued a statement urging the Trump administration to surge humanitarian aid, including infant formula, into Gaza to address the crisis of starvation. The lawmakers, along with 101 of their colleagues, sent a letter to Secretary Marco Rubio, urging him to use the administration's full power to prioritize the aid, citing the severe famine conditions in Gaza. The crisis has left over half a million people on the brink of starvation, with infants and children being particularly vulnerable.

Key Takeaways:

  • Rep. Pressley and Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen led 101 lawmakers in sending a letter to Secretary Marco Rubio urging the Trump administration to surge humanitarian aid, including infant formula, into Gaza.
  • The letter was in response to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification's (IPC) official declaration of famine in Gaza, with the United Nations warning that over half a million people are on the brink of starvation.
  • Infants in particular are especially vulnerable to death by starvation, with the deaths of 18,500 children in Gaza since October 2023, and over 20,000 children treated for acute malnutrition since April 2025.
  • The lawmakers highlighted the failures of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) system to deliver the necessary aid for months and the urgent need to surge food supplies.
  • Rep. Pressley has consistently called for a ceasefire in Gaza to save lives, return all hostages, and surge humanitarian aid to the region.
  • The lawmakers sounded the alarm over the catastrophic shortage of baby formula and highlighted the failures of the GHF system to deliver the necessary aid for months.

Statistics:

  • Over 500,000 people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation, according to the United Nations.
  • 18,500 children died in Gaza since October 2023.
  • 20,000+ children were treated for acute malnutrition since April 2025.
  • Average daily truck entries remain far below the 500-600 trucks required to meet humanitarian needs, according to the Israeli government's data.
  • Only a tiny fraction of the aid was delivered by the GHF system, which has failed to meet the humanitarian needs of the Gaza population.

Sources:

  • [Source 1 - Pressley's office] https://pressley.house.gov/2025/09/04/pressley-pettersen-slam-rubios-silence-to-demands-for-surge-in-aid-and-infant-formula-to-gaza/
  • [Source 2 - United Nations]
  • [Source 3 - Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)]
  • [Source 4 - Israeli government data]