WHO Confirms Famine Scenario in Gaza Amid Escalating Crisis
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported that the Gaza Strip is facing a catastrophic famine scenario, as detailed in the latest alert by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). The ongoing humanitarian crisis has resulted in severe food shortages, with individuals suffering from starvation-related ailments and fatalities reported, including the tragic deaths of many children, reports 24brussels.
According to the WHO, “Dying of starvation is slow and painful. A starving child may cry from pain until they are too weak to cry at all. Without urgent treatment, children suffering from acute malnutrition will not survive.”
The large-scale humanitarian crisis in Gaza can be traced back to an Israeli blockade, which has intensified since military operations began in October 2023. Local hospitals have indicated that at least two more individuals succumbed to hunger-related causes in the past 24 hours, raising the total number of related deaths to 159, including 90 children.
Dr. Kahlil Daqran revealed to Al Jazeera that many mothers are too malnourished to breastfeed as supplies of baby formula run out. “These children, their mothers also have malnutrition because there is no food, so the mothers cannot produce milk. Now, our children are being fed either water or ground hard legumes, and this is harmful for children in Gaza,” he explained.
The United Nations has heightened its alerts regarding the vulnerability of Palestinian children as hunger proliferates across the region. UN officials have continuously urged the Israeli government to allow uninterrupted access for humanitarian aid, a request that has not been granted.
Despite the dire circumstances, humanitarian assistance remains stalled. The WHO, along with IPC partners, plans to proceed with ongoing field assessments, while vital supplies from United Nations agencies remain at Gaza’s borders, pending authorization for entry.
