Starvation crisis in Gaza fuels global uproar
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is reaching unprecedented levels, with mounting international condemnation and urgent appeals for action as deaths from starvation continue to rise.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that 111 people have now died from famine and malnutrition, including at least 80 children. The ministry confirmed that 10 of those deaths occurred within the past 24 hours, signaling a rapidly deteriorating situation on the ground.
On Wednesday, July 23, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres described the situation as a 'horror show,' warning that starvation is 'knocking on every door' in Gaza. He denounced what he called an unparalleled level of destruction and death in recent memory.
More than 100 international humanitarian organizations, including Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Corps, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, released a joint statement accusing Israel of directly contributing to the humanitarian collapse. They cited restrictions, delays, and administrative fragmentation under Israel's siege as key factors creating what they called 'chaos, starvation, and death.' The groups called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, the lifting of all aid restrictions, full access to all areas of Gaza, and the restoration of an impartial, UN-led humanitarian response.
Israel is continuing to use starvation as a method of warfare, a war crime, and as a tool to commit genocide against Palestinians in the occupied Gaza Strip.The harrowing suffering of starving Palestinians in Gaza, including our own colleagues, on an hourly basis, is… pic.twitter.com/AfUlgb8jc6
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) July 22, 2025
"I still can't absorb the fact that there is a life after war." - Lena*, Mercy Corps team member in #Gaza.Only a sustained ceasefire coupled with a dramatic increase in aid can bring relief in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/iBKLQ560nh
— Mercy Corps (@mercycorps) January 22, 2025
Protests also erupted outside the UN Secretary-General's residence in New York, where demonstrators demanded stronger action to stop the starvation in Gaza.
🪧 Protests erupted in cities across the US, including New York, Washington DC., and Chicago👉 Demonstrators called for immediate and unrestricted humanitarian aid to Gaza pic.twitter.com/tG2X6kX7rT
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) July 23, 2025
The government of Iran issued a sharp condemnation of Israel, accusing it of deliberately killing and starving Palestinians, and called on the international community to intervene to halt what it described as a 'genocide.'
Inside Gaza, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported that even its own staff are succumbing to hunger, with many aid workers fainting due to extreme malnutrition. Gaza's largest hospital, Al-Shifa Medical Complex, confirmed that 21 children had died of starvation in various parts of the Strip over the past three days. Hospital officials said new cases of malnourished children were arriving 'every moment.'
'Gaza is hell on earth. Our own staff are fainting on duty from hunger and exhaustion,' says UNRWA @JulietteTouma to @BBCWorld.During the ceasefire, 500–600 trucks a day entered #Gaza with aid from the UN, including UNRWA. That's what prevented famine before.That system… pic.twitter.com/qf7ymvcWSo
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) July 23, 2025
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described images emerging from Gaza as 'unbearable.' Jordan's King Abdullah renewed his demand to lift the siege immediately, while Kuwait also denounced the ongoing blockade. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation warned of a rapidly unfolding humanitarian catastrophe.
Civilians cannot be targets. Never.The images from Gaza are unbearable.The EU reiterates its call for the free, safe and swift flow of humanitarian aid.And for the full respect of international and humanitarian law.Civilians in Gaza have suffered too much, for too long.… https://t.co/VhaKxUXka0
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) July 22, 2025
In a sign of growing grassroots solidarity, former Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki began a symbolic hunger strike in support of the people of Gaza. Tunisian journalist Bassam Bounni also joined the initiative and launched the hashtag #hungerstrikeforgaza. Meanwhile, the International Committee to Break the Siege on Gaza called for a coordinated global hunger strike and demonstrations outside US and Israeli embassies.
Twenty-eight Western-aligned nations —including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Canada—issued a joint statement condemning what they called the 'drip feeding' of aid and the killing of civilians seeking food and water. They described Israel's aid delivery model as inhumane and destabilizing and called for an immediate end to the war.
The United States, however, rejected the joint statement. A US Ambassador reportedly described the statement as 'disgusting' and instead called for increased pressure on Hamas. US envoy Steve Witkoff is currently traveling to Europe for ceasefire discussions and talks on establishing a humanitarian aid corridor.
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