Gaza : The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a critical warning over the worsening hunger crisis in Gaza, describing the situation as a “man-made disaster” and calling for unrestricted humanitarian access as Israel’s ongoing blockade fuels deadly malnutrition, particularly among children.
In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, UNICEF painted a grim picture:
“Hunger is widespread in Gaza, and people are dying. Food is dangerously scarce, and clean water is below emergency levels.”
The agency emphasized that the malnutrition rate among children has reached catastrophic levels, warning that starvation is now a horrific daily reality for thousands of families trapped under siege.
“Enough is enough. The United Nations must be allowed to deliver all types of aid at scale, wherever families are,” UNICEF stated, urging immediate international intervention.
Access to humanitarian aid, including food, water, and medical supplies, remains severely restricted, and the few delivery routes that exist are often too dangerous to access, according to the agency.
Worsening Famine and Relentless Bombardment
UNICEF’s statement comes as the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza continues to escalate. In the past 24 hours alone, at least 18 people have reportedly died from starvation, underscoring the urgency of international aid access.
Israeli attacks on the besieged enclave show no sign of abating, with over 59,000 Palestinians — most of them women and children — confirmed killed, and more than 11,000 feared buried under rubble, according to Palestine’s WAFA news agency.
Independent experts estimate that the true death toll could be significantly higher — potentially approaching 200,000 — given the scale of destruction and lack of access to accurate reporting.
Israel has also restricted the entry of humanitarian aid, allowing only a controversial US-backed aid group to operate, a move criticized by international observers as an attempt to bypass the UN and a “death trap” for civilians in need.
Nearly the entire population of Gaza has now been displaced, with vast parts of the territory reduced to rubble.
