More than 100 aid agencies say 'mass starvation' spreading across Gaza
Date: 08:15 BST
Title: Gazans collapsing in the street from hunger, UN agency reports
Content: A 14-year-old Palestinian boy, who medics say is malnourished, pictured on a bed at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday
The UN's humanitarian agency Ocha released a new update on Tuesday, warning of "the rapid collapse of the last lifelines keeping people
alive". Citing local health officials, it says:
Update:
Date: 07:58 BST
Title: Malnutrition starkly on the rise, WHO official tells BBC
Content: A World Health Organization (WHO) official has told the BBC of seeing children in Gaza who look younger than their age because of malnutrition.
Speaking to our colleagues on the Today programme, WHO representative for the West Bank and Gaza Dr Rik Peeperkorn says malnutrition is "starkly on the rise" in Gaza.
"In 2025 only, we talk about nearly 30,000 children who are malnourished," he explains.
Dr Peeperkorn visits Gaza frequently, and describes how on his latest trip, his team "saw a child in a malnutrition ward... a child that looks like they're two when actually they're five".
"The lack of basic food supplies is affecting everyone," he adds. "It's even affecting our colleagues in Gaza, a kind of lethargy all over."
Update:
Date: 07:36 BST
Title: 33 dead from malnutrition in 48 hours, Hamas-run ministry said on Tuesday
Content: A GHF aid point near the Nuseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, photographed in June
As conditions deteriorate in Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry is now dividing its death toll into categories.
Yesterday, it said that 33 people, including 12 children, had died from malnutrition the past 48 hours, bringing the total to 101, including 80 children overall.
It also said 1,026 people have been killed by Israel's military while seeking food aid since the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) distribution system began on 27 May.
A slightly higher figure, 1,054, figure was used by the UN on Tuesday.
According to the UN, about 87.8% of Gaza is now covered by Israeli evacuation orders or is within Israeli militarised zones, leaving the 2.1 million population squeezed into about 46 sq km (18 sq miles) of land.
In total, the Hamas-run health ministry reports at least 59,029 people have been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023, when the Israeli military launched a campaign in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
Update:
Date: 07:19 BST
Title: Israel says 950 trucks' worth of aid waiting for distribution in Gaza
Content: A still from a video shared by IDF spokesman Nadav Shoshani, which he says shows aid inside Gaza
Despite criticism from humanitarian organisations, Israel says crucial supplies are waiting in Gaza, ready to be delivered to Palestinians.
Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson Nadav Shoshani shared a video of "950 trucks worth of aid", which he says are "for international organizations to pick up and distribute to Gazan civilians".
"This is after Israel facilitated the aid entry into Gaza," he adds.
The aid agencies do not dispute there is undistributed aid inside Gaza. In their statement, they say "tons" of aid and critical supplies are waiting "just outside Gaza, in warehouses – and even within Gaza itself".
But, these organisations claim that they have been "blocked from accessing or delivering them" by Israeli government restrictions.
Israel, though, says the system - run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) since May - prevents supplies being stolen by Hamas.
On Tuesday evening, Israeli Army Radio quoted Cogat as saying Hamas was "conducting a false campaign regarding the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, as a pressure tool within the negotiations".
Update:
Date: 07:11 BST
Title: 'Those we serve are wasting away'
Content: As we just reported, more than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups are warning of mass starvation in Gaza - while pressing for governments to take action.
The letter says aid distributions in Gaza "average just 28 trucks a day"; the UN has previously suggested that a minimum of 600 lorries a day are required to feed the population of two million people.
"As mass starvation spreads across Gaza, our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away," the groups say, before calling for a ceasefire, as well as the opening of crossings and a full flow of food through a "UN-led mechanism".
The groups say access has been "denied" to "tons" of crucial supplies, and accuse Israel of false promises around plans to scale up aid "when there is no real change on the ground".
Yesterday, the Israeli military body responsible for co-ordinating aid deliveries, Cogat, insisted that Israel acts in accordance with international law.
It said it facilitates the entry of aid, while ensuring it does not reach Hamas.
Update:
Date: 07:06 BST
Title: More than 100 aid agencies say mass starvation spreading across Gaza
Content: Jacqueline HowardLive editor
More than 100 aid agencies, including Save the Children and Médecins Sans Frontières, have released a joint statement "sounding the alarm" over what they say is "mass starvation" across Gaza.
"Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions," the statement says.
Israel has acknowledged a significant drop in supplies reaching Gazans. But its officials say the food is there - and instead point to the aid agencies for not getting it to the people.
For their part, the aid agencies have long reported issues in co-ordinating safe passage with Israel to distribute aid.
Over recent days, the Hamas-run health ministry has reported dozens of recent deaths from malnutrition, while the agencies say hundreds have been killed while seeking aid in the past two months.
We'll have all the latest news and reaction on this page, so stay with us.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
What is chikungunya? Symptoms and travel advice as cases rise in France
Health authorities are warning travellers of a mosquito-borne virus that can cause debilitating joint pain, after cases emerged in areas of France. While the virus known as chikungunya is more commonly found in tropical areas of the world, cases have now appeared in France, a popular holiday destination for Brits, especially during the summer months. The World Health Organisation has now raised its concern about the virus, giving new guidelines to healthcare providers on how to help those who have contracted chikungunya. Diana Rojas Alvarez, a medical officer at the WHO, told reporters in Geneva that an estimated 5.6 billion people live in areas across 119 countries at risk from the virus. This year so far, France has reported 30 cases of chikungunya virus on the mainland and the French island of Corsica. Italy has reported one. While Europe is not currently experiencing a severe outbreak, health officials on the continent are making travellers aware of the virus as well as the rollout of a new vaccine in the UK. We have rounded up what travellers need to know about the virus, plus advice from a specialist travel doctor on how to best prepare for travelling overseas. What is chikungunya and how is it spread? Chikungunya virus disease is a mosquito-borne disease that is found across tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is spread to humans by a bite from an infected mosquito. It cannot be passed from human to human. Most cases have been found in the Americas, Africa and Asia. Brazil has the most cases, with over 141,000, followed by Argentina with over 2,500 so far in 2025. In total, there have been approximately 220,000 chikungunya cases and 80 related deaths across 14 countries/territories since the beginning of the year. La Réunion and Mayotte, two French islands off the east coast of Africa, have ongoing outbreaks of chikungunya, with the former recording 51,000 cases as of May 2025. The transmission of dengue and chikungunya virus in mainland Europe has been linked by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to travellers who have caught the virus outside the region, then gone to countries within Europe with mosquitoes that are able to carry the virus after biting the person. 'The risk of locally acquired chikungunya and dengue virus transmissions is therefore increasing,' the ECDC said. What are the symptoms? 'Chikungunya' comes from a word used by the Makonde people in Tanzania, where the disease was first discovered in the 1950s, which means 'that which bends up'. This describes the contorted posture of infected people who experience severe joint pain. Alongside joint pain, people can also experience an abrupt onset of fever, joint swelling, muscle pain, headaches, nausea, fatigue and rashes. The joint pain can be debilitating and usually lasts for a few days, but it has been known to last for weeks, months or even years. If an infected person does not experience joint pain, the symptoms will be mild and can go unrecognised as chikungunya. Most people will recover fully from the infection. There have been some occasional cases of eye, heart, and neurological complications, while newborns and older people with underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of severe disease. Patients with severe disease should be hospitalised because of the risk of organ damage or death. Once someone has recovered from chikungunya, they are likely to be immune to future chikungunya infections. Is there a vaccine? The UK government has approved vaccines against chikungunya disease, containing a form of the virus that has been weakened so it cannot multiply. The vaccine works by training the immune system to recognise the virus, which will then produce specific antibodies to attack it. It can only be obtained via a prescription and given to those who plan to travel abroad where the virus is present. Last month, the government released a further announcement to say that the Commission on Human Medicines has temporarily restricted the use of the vaccine in people aged 65 and over as a precautionary measure. To prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, the World Health Organisation advises using insecticides; wearing clothing that minimises skin exposure; using window and door screens, and insecticide-treated mosquito nets; and applying certain repellants to skin and clothing. A travel doctor's guide on being prepared Dr Richard Dawood, a travel medical specialist at Fleet Street Clinic, explained to The Independent how the vaccination can help travellers prevent getting sick from the chikungunya virus. He said: 'This is a new situation for us. Until a very short time ago, we had no vaccine, and the only approach to prevention was to make careful use of insect repellents and insect precautions. 'So now we've got this extra tool in the armoury, and because the vaccine gives long-lasting protection, it's something that could be considered if you are planning to travel over a period of time. 'It's a fairly expensive vaccine, but if you're going to be travelling over a period of years to Southern Europe and beyond, it may be something that could be considered.' When asked about getting the vaccination for a trip to France, Mr Dawood advised to look at the decision in terms of where you will be travelling over the next few years rather than in the context of a single trip. 'The risk from a one-off short trip to France is probably very small,' he said. 'There's been only a very small number of cases so far. So statistically, you're not very likely to, but over time, as somebody who loves to travel and loves going to hot countries, then I would probably want to be protected against it in the long term.' Wherever you are travelling, Mr Dawood advised holidaymakers to 'do your homework'. He said: 'If there's an actual outbreak at your destination, then I would say no hesitation, definitely have the vaccine. 'Taking a bit of time and getting some really focused travel health advice for your particular trip is very worthwhile because it can save you from getting a vaccine that you don't need or that may not be sensible for you, and it can help prioritise the really important things for your trip.
Reuters
19 minutes ago
- Reuters
Hospitals in Syria's Sweida struggling after sectarian clashes, WHO says
GENEVA, July 25 (Reuters) - The main hospital in the southern Syrian city of Sweida is overwhelmed with trauma patients and working without adequate power or water after the local Druze minority clashed almost two weeks ago with Bedouin and government forces. "Inside of Sweida, it's a grim picture, with the health facilities under immense strain," the World Health Organization's Christina Bethke told reporters in Geneva via video link from Damascus. "Electricity and water are cut off, and essential medicine supplies are running out." Many medical staff cannot reach their workplace safely, and the main hospital's morgue was full at one point this week as it dealt with a surge of trauma cases. At least 903 people were killed in the sectarian bloodshed, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights, after clashes between Druze militias and Bedouin tribes spilled into ferocious fighting between the Druze and government forces sent to quell the unrest. The Network's head, Fadel Abdulghany, has said the toll is not final, and that his group documented field executions by Syrian troops, Bedouin tribal fighters and Druze factions. Though the WHO has managed to deliver two convoys of aid in the last week, access remains difficult because tensions remain between the groups controlling various parts of Sweida governorate, it said. More than 145,000 people have been displaced by the recent fighting, the WHO said, with many sheltering in makeshift reception centres in Daraa and Damascus.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Poor regulation causing hundreds of deaths from contaminated medicines globally, says WHO report
Weak regulation has allowed children's medicines like cough syrup and paracetamol to be laced with toxic industrial chemicals leading to hundreds of deaths, according to a report by the World Health Organization. Since 2022, at least 300 people – mainly children in Africa and Asia – have died from cough and paracetamol syrups containing diethylene glycol (DEG) and ethylene glycol (EG): industrial chemicals that are used to make products like brake fluid and antifreeze. The chemicals – a cheap replacement for medicinal glycol – are toxic in even small amounts and cause acute kidney damage that often proves fatal. The WHO report, released jointly with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, said 'criminal networks' were exploiting 'market volatility and regulatory gaps' to introduce these and other toxins into the supply chain in order to make quick profits. 'Most of the recent cases involve inexpensive oral liquid medicines that can be bought without a prescription,' said the report. 'In most cases these medicines were marketed specifically for children and are … available in pharmacies, medicine stores or informal street markets.' In 2022, more than 150 children died in Indonesia from consuming locally produced cough syrups that had been laced with EG. The manufacturer had marked 60,000 bottles of the lethal medication with fake labels showing only safe ingredients, the report said. In the same year, at least 66 children, mostly under the age of two, died in the Gambia from acute kidney failure after consuming cough syrup containing DEG and EG, imported from India. The medicines were produced by the Indian manufacturer, Maiden Pharmaceuticals, which was later discovered to have breached numerous regulations. Two of the owners of the company received prison sentences, the report said. Over the last three years, at least five batches of lethal cough syrups have been traced back to Indian manufacturers from countries including Uzbekistan, Cameroon, and Iraq. Some were found to contain over 20 times the safe level of EG . Each contaminated medicine was produced by a different manufacturer, raising questions about the regulation of India's pharmaceutical industry. Overall, the World Health Organization said at least 1,300 people have died as a direct cause of ingesting contaminated medicines over the last 90 years, and thousands more have suffered 'life changing injuries' – mostly in the developing world. 'In many cases, contaminated medicines are the result of intentional criminal conduct. Addressing this threat requires coordinated efforts by ... law enforcement agencies, customs officials, prosecutors and anti-corruption bodies,' the report said.
