Struggling Gaza father mourns deceased child due to malnutrition as he strives to protect his remaining kin
In the war-torn Gaza Strip, the situation is dire. Malnutrition and starvation have reached levels never seen before, affecting over one-third of the population. According to reports, more than 500,000 people—nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population—are enduring famine-like conditions.
Acute malnutrition among children under five has quadrupled in just two months to 16.5%, and tens of thousands of children have been treated for severe malnutrition, with many deaths reported. Malnutrition-related deaths sharply increased in July 2025, including at least 96 children dying from malnutrition since early August.
The collapse of essential infrastructure and a blockade that has stopped all UN agency aid for over five months have severely worsened the crisis. Several organizations are actively working to alleviate the situation despite massive challenges.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is monitoring food security, delivering aid where possible, and raising alarm on worsening famine risks. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is engaged in food security assessments and response planning. UNICEF is focused on protecting and treating children suffering from malnutrition, while UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is providing humanitarian assistance but blocked from delivering aid for over 150 days, which has exacerbated food and medicine shortages. The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring malnutrition-related deaths and health impacts, providing treatment protocols and nutritional support where possible.
Their calls for urgent, unimpeded humanitarian access have been repeatedly made, highlighting that the denial of aid access is causing daily loss of lives and escalating the malnutrition crisis. The UN agencies warn that the situation is unlike anything seen in this century and represents an unfolding disaster in Gaza.
The Muteir family's situation indicates a severe lack of access to basic necessities like clean water and nutritious food. Amira Muteir, 32, pleads for help, stating that her emaciated baby Ammar is wasting away from malnutrition. The family relies on a charity soup kitchen for one small plate of food per day to survive. Ammar experiences 15 to 20 days a month without milk, requiring hospital visits for fortified solutions.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) stated that nearly nine out of ten households resorted to extremely severe coping mechanisms to feed themselves. The Muteir family's struggle highlights the severe food consumption issues affecting 81% of households in Gaza.
Ibrahim Al-Najjar's 10-year-old son Farah has been falling unconscious for about a month. The Najjar family has been displaced by nearly two years of Israeli air strikes. Before the war, the Najjar family ate three meals a day, but now they can only dream of simple foods like bread, rice, fruit, and vegetables. Five more people died of malnutrition and starvation in the Gaza Strip in the previous 24 hours.
A global hunger monitor has said a famine scenario is unfolding in the Gaza Strip, with starvation spreading and humanitarian access severely restricted. The enclave's health ministry reported at least 193 Palestinians, including 96 children, have died from such causes since the war began. Najwa, Naim's mother, pleads, "People talk about Gaza, Gaza, Gaza. Come see the children of Gaza. Those who do not believe, come see how Gaza's children are dying. We are not living, we are dying slowly."
The Muteir family's reliance on charity for food indicates a widespread issue of poverty and food insecurity in Gaza. The families' situations underscore the ongoing hardships faced by families in Gaza due to the conflict. The urgent need for humanitarian corridors and support is emphasized, as the crisis continues to escalate.
- The world watches in despair as the situation in the Gaza Strip worsens, with malnutrition and starvation affecting over one-third of the population.
- Reports indicate acute malnutrition among children under five has quadrupled, reaching 16.5%.
- Tens of thousands of children are being treated for severe malnutrition, with many deaths reported.
- Malnutrition-related deaths sharply increased in July 2025, claiming at least 96 children since early August.
- The collapse of essential infrastructure and a blockade have exacerbated the crisis, with UN agency aid halted for over five months.
- The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is delivering aid where possible and raising alarm on worsening famine risks.
- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is engaged in food security assessments and response planning.
- UNICEF is focused on treating children suffering from malnutrition, while UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) is providing humanitarian assistance.
- The World Health Organization (WHO) is monitoring malnutrition-related deaths and health impacts, providing treatment protocols and nutritional support.
- The UN agencies have highlighted that the denial of aid access is causing daily loss of lives and escalating the malnutrition crisis.
- Nearly nine out of ten households in Gaza are resorting to extremely severe coping mechanisms to feed themselves.
- The Muteir family's struggle to access basic necessities like clean water and nutritious food is indicative of a widespread issue of poverty and food insecurity.
- The family's emaciated baby Ammar is wasting away from malnutrition, and experiences 15 to 20 days a month without milk.
- Ibrahim Al-Najjar's 10-year-old son Farah has been falling unconscious for about a month.
- Before the war, the Najjar family ate three meals a day, but now they can only dream of simple foods like bread, rice, fruit, and vegetables.
- The crisis in Gaza extends to health-and-wellness, with chronic diseases, cancers, respiratory conditions, digestive-health issues, eye-health problems, hearing issues, skin-conditions, autoimmune-disorders, mental-health concerns, and neurological-disorders also affecting the population.
- The enclave's health ministry reported at least 193 Palestinians, including 96 children, have died from starvation and related causes since the war began.
- The urgent need for workplace-wellness initiatives, medical-conditions management, and therapies-and-treatments is emphasized for the Gaza population.
- Nutrition, fitness-and-exercise, and skin-care are crucial aspects of health-and-wellness that are lacking for many Gaza residents.
- Education-and-self-development and personal-growth opportunities are scarce in the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip, further exacerbating the hardships faced by families.
- Mindfulness practices and stress management could help improve mental-health and overall well-being in Gaza, offering ways to cope with the ongoing wars and conflicts.
- Career-development and job-search resources are essential to helping Gaza's residents rebuild their lives and economies after the conflict.
- The crisis in Gaza also highlights the importance of online-education and remote learning opportunities for residents seeking to further their skills and knowledge.
- With its effects on critical aspects of health, well-being, and society, the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza presents a pressing issue for politics, general-news, crime-and-justice, and human rights activists worldwide.
