Expert: Gaza Famine Is Most Controlled Starvation Since WWII

The scale of the crisis is deepening as the Gaza Health Ministry reports 15 additional deaths from malnutrition in a single 24-hour period, including four children. Since October 2023, at least 101 Palestinians have died of starvation, with 80 of those victims being children. Medical officials estimate that 17,000 children in the territory are currently suffering from severe malnutrition, while the IPC scale indicates that at least 244,000 people face extreme food deprivation.

The Humanitarian Collapse

Beyond the lack of food, aid distribution has become a site of lethal violence. UN human rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan noted that over 1,000 people have been killed while attempting to secure food, often near distribution centers. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas recently labeled the killing of civilians seeking aid as indefensible. Humanitarian organizations are struggling to maintain a presence; Jan Egeland of the Norwegian Refugee Council stated that their relief supplies are exhausted, with hundreds of truckloads blocked from entering the enclave. As the death toll surpasses 59,000, international experts including UN special rapporteur Michael Fakhri continue to categorize the use of food as a weapon of war.