Urgent Concern over Child Suffering in Gaza Due to Famine: Global Community Must Not Avert Their Eyes
In the heart of Gaza City, on July 21, 2025, an 18-month-old child, Muhammad Zakariya Ayyoub al-Matouq, is battling life-threatening malnutrition. This tragic situation is just one of many as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza escalates.
The following day, a Palestinian girl is receiving treatment for malnutrition at the Patient Friends Assn. Hospital. The crisis, primarily stemming from a total siege imposed by the Government of Israel since October 2023 and ongoing conflict, has destroyed infrastructure, restricted access to food, and crippled essential services.
Experts have warned that Gaza is at risk of famine for months, but have not yet declared one. Unfortunately, this warning has not prevented a child from dying due to starvation, weighing less than at birth.
Naeema, a 30-year-old Palestinian mother, is carrying her malnourished 2-year-old son Yazan in the Al-Shati refugee camp on July 23. The next day, Hidaya, a 31-year-old Palestinian mother, is carrying her 18-month-old son Mohammed al-Mutawaq, who shows signs of malnutrition, in the same camp.
Over 320,000 children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition, with child deaths due to starvation accelerating severely in recent months. Key factors behind the crisis include severe restrictions on food, medical supplies, and fuel entering Gaza, the destruction of homes, neighborhoods, and health facilities, and the worsening nutritional status of vulnerable groups.
Humanitarian agencies such as Save the Children, WFP (World Food Programme), and UNRWA are working on the ground to provide emergency food aid and healthcare despite dangerous and volatile conditions. WFP has managed to deliver food to over 1.3 million people, more than half of Gaza’s population, including fresh bread, ready-to-eat meals, and canned foods. UNRWA reports screening children for malnutrition and providing treatment where possible.
Calls from international bodies like the UN for an immediate ceasefire, increased humanitarian aid flow, lifting of sieges, and political efforts to end the occupation and conflict have been made. Humanitarian pauses announced by Israel to allow food aid deliveries have been announced, although the scale of need far exceeds current assistance efforts.
Despite these efforts, the situation remains extremely precarious, with famine conditions worsening and humanitarian access still limited. The global community continues to emphasize the urgent need for expanded aid, permanent ceasefire, and political solutions to reverse this crisis and save lives.
Images of suffering children in Gaza continue to surface, highlighting the dire need for immediate action. Palestinians are gathering to receive meals in various locations, and a weak and malnourished child is seen at Abdulaziz er-Rantisi Children's Hospital in Gaza City.
[1] UNICEF (2025). Gaza: Humanitarian Crisis Deepens as Malnutrition Rises Among Children. [online] Available at: https://www.unicef.org/press-releases/gaza-humanitarian-crisis-deepens-malnutrition-rises-among-children
[2] WFP (2025). Gaza: Emergency Food Assistance for Over 1.3 Million People. [online] Available at: https://www.wfp.org/news/gaza-emergency-food-assistance-over-13-million-people
[3] UNRWA (2025). Gaza: Malnutrition Treatment and Screening for Children. [online] Available at: https://www.unrwa.org/newsroom/press-releases/gaza-unrwa-screens-children-malnutrition-and-provides-treatment-where-possible
[4] OCHA (2025). Gaza: Over Half a Million People Affected by Severe Food Scarcity and Famine-like Conditions. [online] Available at: https://www.ochaopt.org/content/gaza-over-half-million-people-affected-severe-food-scarcity-and-famine-like-conditions
[5] UN (2025). Gaza: Urgent Call for Ceasefire, Increased Humanitarian Aid, and Political Solutions. [online] Available at: https://www.un.org/press/en/2025/sc13365.doc.htm
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