Gaza battles with hunger: Starving kids with feeble bones, scavenge for charity food amid human-induced famine
9 Photos . Updated: 27 Jul 2025, 11:43 AM IST
Share Via
Amid hunger crisis in Gaza, Israeli military on Sunday announced that it would pause fighting in three populated areas of Gaza for 10 hours a day and open secure routes for aid delivery to desperate Palestinians. This comes after food experts warned of the risk of famine.
1/9A doctor inspecting a malnourished Palestinian girl receiving treatment at the International Medical Corps field hospital amid Gaza's battles with hunger. (REUTERS)
2/9Displaced Palestinian mother at a shelter home with her malnourished kids on July 24 amid Gaza's hunger crisis. (REUTERS)
3/9A malnourished Palestinian child at Gaza's Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, wearing make-shift polythene diapers (REUTERS)
4/9A displaced Palestinian girl express cries of joy as she receives lentil soup at a food distribution point in Gaza on July 25 amid hunger crisis. (AFP)
5/9A 2-year-old malnourished child with his mother at a Gaza refugee camp on July 23. (AP)
6/9Displaced Palestinians women receiving lentil soup at a food distribution point in Gaza on July 25 amid hunger crisis and soaring numbers of malnourished children. (AFP)
7/9Palestinian children lineup with utensils in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis on July 22 eagerly waiting for charity meal amid shortages of food supplies in Gaza. (AFP)
8/9Chaos at a charity kitchen in the Mawasi area of Khan Yunis as Palestinian children wait for a meal on July 22 amid Gaza hunger crisis. (AFP)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
15 hours ago
- First Post
Why is Gaza starving even as Israel eases blockade?
Gaza is currently facing the 'worst-case scenario of famine', according to food experts. This comes even after Israel paused fighting for a few hours and is allowing nations to airdrop food. But, this aid isn't making it to the UN warehouses for distribution. Here's why? read more International outcry over images of emaciated children and increasing reports of hunger-related deaths has pressured Israel to let more aid into the Gaza Strip. This week, Israel paused fighting in parts of Gaza and airdropped food. But aid groups and Palestinians say the changes have only been incremental and are not enough to reverse what food experts say is a 'worst-case scenario of famine' unfolding in the war-ravaged territory. The new measures have brought an uptick in the number of aid trucks entering Gaza. But almost none of it reaches UN warehouses for distribution. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Instead, nearly all the trucks are stripped of their cargo by crowds that overwhelm them on the roads as they drive from the borders. The crowds are a mix of Palestinians desperate for food and gangs armed with knives, axes or pistols who loot the goods to then hoard or sell. Many have also been killed trying to grab the aid. Witnesses say Israeli troops often open fire on crowds around the aid trucks, and hospitals have reported hundreds killed or wounded. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots to control crowds or at people who approach its forces. The alternative food distribution system run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has also been marred by violence. International airdrops of aid have resumed. But aid groups say airdrops deliver only a fraction of what trucks can supply. Also, many parcels have landed in now-inaccessible areas that Palestinians have been told to evacuate, while others have plunged into the Mediterranean Sea, forcing people to swim out to retrieve drenched bags of flour. Here's a look at why the aid isn't being distributed: A lack of trust The UN says that longstanding restrictions on the entry of aid have created an unpredictable environment, and that while a pause in fighting might allow more aid in, Palestinians are not confident aid will reach them. 'This has resulted in many of our convoys offloaded directly by starving, desperate people as they continue to face deep levels of hunger and are struggling to feed their families,' said Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or Ocha. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'The only way to reach a level of confidence is by having a sustained flow of aid over a period of time,' she said. Israel blocked food entirely from entering Gaza for two and a half months starting in March. Since it eased the blockade in late May, it allowed in a trickle of aid trucks for the UN, about 70 a day on average, according to official Israeli figures. That is far below the 500-600 trucks a day that UN agencies say are needed — the amount that entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year. Much of the aid is stacked up just inside the border in Gaza because UN trucks could not pick it up. The UN says that it was because of Israeli military restrictions on its movements and because of the lawlessness in Gaza. Israel has argued that it is allowing sufficient quantities of goods into Gaza and tried to shift the blame to the UN 'More consistent collection and distribution by UN agencies and international organizations = more aid reaching those who need it most in Gaza,' the Israeli military agency in charge of aid coordination, Cogat, said in a statement this week. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With the new measures this week, Cogat, says 220-270 truckloads a day were allowed into Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday, and that the UN was able to pick up more trucks, reducing some of the backlog at the border. Aid missions still face 'constraints' Cherevko said there have been 'minor improvements' in approvals by the Israeli military for its movements and some 'reduced waiting times' for trucks along the road. But she said the aid missions are 'still facing constraints.' Delays of military approval still mean trucks remain idle for long periods, and the military still restricts the routes that the trucks can take onto a single road, which makes it easy for people to know where the trucks are going, UN officials say. Palestinians hold onto an aid truck returning to Gaza City. AP Antoine Renard, who directs the World Food Program's operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, said Wednesday that it took nearly 12 hours to bring in 52 trucks on a 10-kilometre (6 mile) route. 'While we're doing everything that we can to actually respond to the current wave of starvation in Gaza, the conditions that we have are not sufficient to actually make sure that we can break that wave,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Aid workers say the changes Israel has made in recent days are largely cosmetic. 'These are theatrics, token gestures dressed up as progress,' said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's policy lead for Israel and the Palestinian territories. 'Of course, a handful of trucks, a few hours of tactical pauses and raining energy bars from the sky is not going to fix irreversible harm done to an entire generation of children that have been starved and malnourished for months now,' she said. Breakdown of law and order As desperation mounts, Palestinians are risking their lives to get food, and violence is increasing, say aid workers. Muhammad Shehada, a political analyst from Gaza who is a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said aid retrieval has turned into the survival of the fittest. 'It's a Darwin dystopia, the strongest survive,' he said. A truck driver said Wednesday that he has driven food supplies four times from the Zikim crossing on Gaza's northern border. Every time, he said, crowds a kilometre long (0.6 miles) surrounded his truck and took everything on it after he passed the checkpoint at the edge of the Israeli military-controlled border zones. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He said some were desperate people, while others were armed. He said that on Tuesday, for the first time, some in the crowd threatened him with knives or small arms. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his safety. Ali al-Derbashi, another truck driver, said that during one trip in July armed men shot the tires, stole everything, including the diesel and batteries and beat him. 'If people weren't starving, they wouldn't resort to this,' he said. Israel has said it has offered the UN armed escorts. The UN has refused, saying it can't be seen to be working with a party to the conflict – and pointing to the reported shootings when Israeli troops are present. Uncertainty and humiliation Israel hasn't given a timeline for how long the measures it implemented this week will continue, heightening uncertainty and urgency among Palestinians to seize the aid before it ends. Palestinians say the way it's being distributed, including being dropped from the sky, is inhumane. 'This approach is inappropriate for Palestinians, we are humiliated,' said Rida, a displaced woman. Momen Abu Etayya said he almost drowned because his son begged him to get aid that fell into the sea during an aid drop. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I threw myself into the ocean to death just to bring him something,' he said. 'I was only able to bring him three biscuit packets'.
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
16 hours ago
- First Post
Did Russia's Kamchatka earthquake cause damage to nuclear submarine base?
The massive earthquake in Russia's Kamchatka region caused panic across the world. However, there are concerns that the earthquake may have damaged a Russian naval base and the nuclear submarines it houses. Here's what we know read more Tsunami waves flood an area after a powerful magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off Russia's far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula, in Severo-Kurilsk, Sakhalin Region, Russia. Reuters The earthquake in Russia, one of the most powerful ever recorded in modern history, sent alarm bells ringing across the world. However, there are concerns that t he earthquake may have damaged a nuclear submarine base, and possibly the vessels inside. That's what some are worried about in the aftermath of the 8.8 magnitude quake that struck the Kamchatka region in Russia's far east. But what happened? What do we know? Let's take a closer look. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What happened? The tsunami waves triggered by the massive quake seem to have damaged Russia's Rybachiy base, according to satellite images of the region. The base in Avacha Bay, located on the Kamchatka Peninsula, is home to almost the entire fleet of nuclear submarines that Russia has stationed in the Pacific. Russia's Navy's new Borei-class and Soviet-era Delta-class nuclear submarines are housed here. Russia's Yasen-M and Oscar-class guided missile submarines are also said to be stationed there. The K-329 Belgorod, the world's longest submarine, is also believed to be docked or operating in the area. This is just over a hundred kilometers from the location where the quake struck. Remember, the Russian quake is among the ten strongest tremors in recorded history. It sent tsunami waves all the way across the Pacific — to Hawaii, Alaska, and the west coast of America—traveling at the speed of a jet airplane. Images show that a section of one pier has twisted out of its original position. This was revealed by images captured by the Umbra Space satellite, which uses synthetic aperture radar (SAR) to peer through the clouds. Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a ceremony to launch a nuclear-powered submarine project in Murmansk on March 27. AFP Thankfully, the images do not show a submarine at the pier at the time of the impact. Photos taken earlier in July show at least one submarine docked along the pier. The Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky naval base, as well as separate missile-loading and shipyard facilities, are also nearby. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Severo-Kurilsk Port, which is twice as far from the epicenter of the quake as Avacha Bay, has been heavily damaged. Images on social media also showed damage to other buildings in Kamchatka. The earthquake is said to have struck at a depth of around 20 kilometers, approximately 120 kilometers off the coast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The regional capital is home to around 180,000 people. Despite its intensity, there have been no reports of deaths. What is Russia saying? Authorities have called the latest quake a 'remarkable event.' However, they have downplayed reports about any damage. The Russian Defence Ministry has said that the 'situation remains under control' and that 'no damage' has been reported at any of its military installations. This includes naval bases. A retired Russian Navy officer has said there was zero information about 'critical damage to the Russian Navy's naval bases in Kamchatka.' He added that these bases were designed to withstand a nuclear attack. Experts say there is no real evidence that the nuclear submarines themselves have been damaged. It also remains unclear whether any submarines were docked at the pier at the time the earthquake struck. They say the bay's natural geography may have protected the submarines and limited potential damage. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD But this hasn't stopped experts from expressing concern. They say submarines undergoing major maintenance would have been left extremely vulnerable. Even a minor wave could cause a submarine to hit its mooring, they explain. Tom Sharpe, a retired Royal Navy commander, told The Telegraph that the pier was left at a 'terrible angle.' 'If the base assumption is that a wave got in there and bent that jetty, then yes—what else did it do?' Sharpe wondered. He was among the experts questioning the wisdom of concentrating all such nuclear assets at a single base. 'This is why having multiple bases is a good idea—because you never know when you're going to get rogered by something you haven't seen coming,' Sharpe added. With inputs from agencies
NDTV
17 hours ago
- NDTV
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade, But Aid Still Fails To Reach Starving People
International outcry over images of emaciated children and increasing reports of hunger-related deaths have pressured Israel to let more aid into the Gaza Strip. This week, Israel paused fighting in parts of Gaza and airdropped food. But aid groups and Palestinians say the changes have only been incremental and are not enough to reverse what food experts say is a " worst-case scenario of famine" unfolding in the war-ravaged territory. The new measures have brought an uptick in the number of aid trucks entering Gaza. But almost none of it reaches UN warehouses for distribution. Instead, nearly all the trucks are stripped of their cargo by crowds that overwhelm them on the roads as they drive from the borders. The crowds are a mix of Palestinians desperate for food and gangs armed with knives, axes or pistols who loot the goods to then hoard or sell. Many have also been killed trying to grab the aid. Witnesses say Israeli troops often open fire on crowds around the aid trucks, and hospitals have reported hundreds killed or wounded. The Israeli military says it has only fired warning shots to control crowds or at people who approach its forces. The alternative food distribution system run by the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has also been marred by violence. International airdrops of aid have resumed. But aid groups say airdrops deliver only a fraction of what trucks can supply. Also, many parcels have landed in now-inaccessible areas that Palestinians have been told to evacuate, while others have plunged into the Mediterranean Sea, forcing people to swim out to retrieve drenched bags of flour. Here's a look at why the aid isn't being distributed: The UN says that longstanding restrictions on the entry of aid have created an unpredictable environment, and that while a pause in fighting might allow more aid in, Palestinians are not confident aid will reach them. "This has resulted in many of our convoys offloaded directly by starving, desperate people as they continue to face deep levels of hunger and are struggling to feed their families," said Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA. "The only way to reach a level of confidence is by having a sustained flow of aid over a period of time," she said. Israel blocked food entirely from entering Gaza for 2.5 months starting in March. Since it eased the blockade in late May, it allowed in a trickle of aid trucks for the UN, about 70 a day on average, according to official Israeli figures. That is far below the 500-600 trucks a day that UN agencies say are needed - the amount that entered during a six-week ceasefire earlier this year. Much of the aid is stacked up just inside the border in Gaza because UN trucks could not pick it up. The UN says that was because of Israeli military restrictions on its movements and because of the lawlessness in Gaza. Israel has argued that it is allowing sufficient quantities of goods into Gaza and tried to shift the blame to the UN. "More consistent collection and distribution by UN agencies and international organisations = more aid reaching those who need it most in Gaza," the Israeli military agency in charge of aid coordination, COGAT, said in a statement this week. With the new measures this week, COGAT, says 220-270 truckloads a day were allowed into Gaza on Tuesday and Wednesday, and that the UN was able to pick up more trucks, reducing some of the backlog at the border. Cherevko said there have been "minor improvements" in approvals by the Israeli military for its movements and some "reduced waiting times" for trucks along the road. But she said the aid missions are "still facing constraints." Delays of military approval still mean trucks remain idle for long periods, and the military still restricts the routes that the trucks can take onto a single road, which makes it easy for people to know where the trucks are going, UN officials say. Antoine Renard, who directs the World Food Program's operations in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, said Wednesday that it took nearly 12 hours to bring in 52 trucks on a 10-kilometer (6 mile) route. "While we're doing everything that we can to actually respond to the current wave of starvation in Gaza, the conditions that we have are not sufficient to actually make sure that we can break that wave," he said. Aid workers say the changes Israel has made in recent days are largely cosmetic. "These are theatrics, token gestures dressed up as progress," said Bushra Khalidi, Oxfam's policy lead for Israel and the Palestinian territories. "Of course, a handful of trucks, a few hours of tactical pauses and raining energy bars from the sky is not going to fix irreversible harm done to an entire generation of children that have been starved and malnourished for months now," she said. As desperation mounts, Palestinians are risking their lives to get food, and violence is increasing, say aid workers. Muhammad Shehada, a political analyst from Gaza who is a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said aid retrieval has turned into the survival of the fittest. "It's a Darwin dystopia, the strongest survive," he said. A truck driver said Wednesday that he has driven food supplies four times from the Zikim crossing on Gaza's northern border. Every time, he said, crowds a kilometer long (0.6 miles) surrounded his truck and took everything on it after he passed the checkpoint at the edge of the Israeli military-controlled border zones. He said some were desperate people, while others were armed. He said that on Tuesday, for the first time, some in the crowd threatened him with knives or small arms. He spoke on condition of anonymity, fearing for his safety. Ali al-Derbashi, another truck driver, said that during one trip in July armed men shot the tires, stole everything, including the diesel and batteries and beat him. "If people weren't starving, they wouldn't resort to this," he said. Israel has said it has offered the UN armed escorts. The UN has refused, saying it can't be seen to be working with a party to the conflict - and pointing to the reported shootings when Israeli troops are present. Israel hasn't given a timeline for how long the measures it implemented this week will continue, heightening uncertainty and urgency among Palestinians to seize the aid before it ends. Palestinians say the way it's being distributed, including being dropped from the sky, is inhumane. "This approach is inappropriate for Palestinians, we are humiliated," said Rida, a displaced woman. Momen Abu Etayya said he almost drowned because his son begged him to get aid that fell into the sea during an aid drop. "I threw myself in the ocean to death just to bring him something," he said. "I was only able to bring him three biscuit packets."
