By Vibha Sharma
Introduction: A Man-Made Tragedy
In the summer of 2025, Gaza—home to roughly 2.1 million people—is experiencing what humanitarian groups warn may be the worst food crisis seen anywhere in recent history. According to the latest IPC analysis, nearly one in five Gazans—about 500,000 people—are living under famine-like conditions.
Blockade Brings Collapse
Since March 2, 2025, Israel imposed a complete blockade on Gaza, halting all humanitarian and commercial imports. The WFP’s supported bakeries ran out of flour and cooking oil within weeks, and by late April, community kitchens were forced to shut down due to depleted food stocks. During the blockade, prices skyrocketed—flour rose as much as 3,000% in many parts of the territory.
A Humanitarian Catastrophe
UN-affiliated agencies now say two of the three famine threshold criteria have been exceeded: severe reductions in food intake, high acute malnutrition, and rising deaths among children. Over 70,000 children under five and more than 17,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women face acute malnutrition requiring urgent treatment. Recent reports cite at least 154 confirmed starvation-related deaths, including 89 children, and many more likely unrecorded.
Hospitals and nutrition centers are collapsing. Therapeutic feeding and basic medical care can only assist a fraction of those in need, leaving severely ill infants and toddler’s untreated
Politics Vs. Humanity
Although the Trump administration publicly acknowledged severe hunger in Gaza and outlined plans for U.S.-supported food distribution centers, legislative efforts to limit military support to Israel failed in the U.S. Senate. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities deny that starvation is a policy objective, insisting aid is delivered—but critics argue logistics and restrictions render it ineffective.
Aid Barriers Despite Available Supplies
Tens of thousands of tons of food and nutritional supplies await entry into Gaza—but remain stranded at border crossings, blocked by political disputes, security checks, and bureaucratic delays. UN agencies emphasize there’s sufficient food sitting just outside Gaza to feed people—yet there’s no safe, uninterrupted route to those suffering inside.
Why Immediate Action Is Non-Negotiable
Experts warn that without urgent and large-scale humanitarian access, famine will become irreversible. Chronic famine risks, such as stunted growth, cognitive impairment, and weakened immunity among young children, are rapidly becoming a reality. Local food production is collapsing—agricultural lands are destroyed, wells disabled, and livestock populations dramatically reduced—deepening the long-term crisis .
Conclusion: Our Moral Imperative
Gaza’s starvation is entirely avoidable—and entirely man-made. Continuing to watch without demanding action makes us complicit in a tragedy that is unfolding in plain sight. The world must insist on unrestricted humanitarian access, open borders, and adherence to international standards of human dignity.
(Writer of this article is Vibha Sharma, who holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from Kanoria PG Mahila Mahavidyalaya)