DaysofPal- The humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza has reached unprecedented levels, as Israel’s ongoing blockade pushes the territory’s healthcare system to the edge of collapse. With border crossings sealed since March 2, 2025, the flow of essential medical supplies and humanitarian aid has been effectively cut off, deepening an already dire crisis.
Empty shelves, Silent wards
Medical warehouses in Gaza have been rendered nonfunctional, unable to receive new shipments of medications or critical equipment. Reports by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirm that more than 70% of essential medicines are now unavailable. Fuel shortages have shut down key hospital departments, including intensive care units and operating theaters.
The Ministry of Health has repeatedly warned that the continuation of this siege could trigger the complete breakdown of Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure. With over 117,000 injuries reported since the war began, thousands remain in critical condition, without access to treatment.
According to Dr. Alaa Helles, Director General of Pharmaceutical Care at Gaza’s Ministry of Health, the healthcare system is being strangled by extreme shortages.
“More than 37% of the essential medicines list is unavailable in the ministry’s warehouses,” he told Anadolu Agency, adding that medical consumables required for all health services are missing at a rate of 59%.
“This shortage directly affects all medical specialties and services, including cancer and blood disease treatment,” Dr. Helles said, highlighting that over 54% of related medications are missing. Dialysis patients are also at risk, with 24% of necessary medicines unavailable and 23% of surgical materials out of stock.
Dr. Helles further explained that primary care centers lack nearly 40% of their required medications.
“The suffering will worsen, and many patients will face serious complications that could lead to death amid the pain of illness and the anxiety of families who have no means to save their loved ones,” he warned.
In addition to blocking medicine and food, Israel has denied the entry of humanitarian convoys poised to alleviate the crisis. Nearly 3,000 life-saving aid trucks prepared by UNRWA and other organizations remain stranded due to Israel’s refusal to reopen the crossings.
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of UNRWA, condemned the policy, calling it a deliberate act of cruelty.
“It has been 50 days since the Israeli authorities imposed the siege on Gaza. Hunger is spreading and worsening; it is deliberate and man-made. Gaza has become a land of despair,” he wrote on the X platform.
“Two million people, most of them women and children, are being subjected to collective punishment. The wounded, sick, and elderly are deprived of medicine and healthcare,” he added.
The impact of this blockade has been especially devastating for those requiring continuous medical attention. The 9,000 cancer patients in Gaza now find themselves cut off from lifesaving therapies.
At the same time, 15,000 people with severe injuries need urgent surgeries that cannot be performed due to lack of materials.
Reports from international agencies describe the situation as more than a humanitarian crisis; it is a systematically managed disaster. The intentional withholding of food and medicine, used as leverage during wartime, represents a gross violation of international humanitarian law.
Starvation as a weapon of war
The United Nations has also issued strong warnings. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that no food, fuel, or essential supplies have entered Gaza for 50 consecutive days.
“Food stocks have dangerously decreased… medicines, medical supplies, and vaccines are on the verge of running out,” he noted, adding that both children and adults are suffering from hunger, and that “the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse.”
On April 9, UNRWA’s Juliette Touma emphasized that Gaza is entering a state of “extreme hunger,” with infants and children now routinely going to sleep hungry.
The Government Media Office in Gaza has warned of imminent mass deaths as a result of hunger and untreated illness. It declared that the Strip is facing “a stage of total humanitarian collapse,” fueled by systematic starvation policies and the total breakdown of public health.
Over 1.1 million children in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition, with clean water scarce and medical services nearly extinguished. Despite this, aid continues to be withheld, deepening the already overwhelming despair.
According to World Bank estimates, the genocide committed by Israel has forced the entire population into poverty. The majority can no longer access even the most basic necessities of life.
Tens of thousands of women and children have been among the more than 166,000 Palestinians killed or injured as a result of Israel’s U.S.-backed attack on Gaza since October 7, 2023. Over 11,000 people are still unaccounted for, many of whom are thought to be buried beneath debris or otherwise inaccessible.
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