DaysofPal – The World Health Organization (WHO) reported on Wednesday that 421 people, including 113 children, have died in the Gaza Strip in 2025 due to malnutrition, which is a stark reflection of the deepening humanitarian catastrophe caused by the prolonged Israeli blockade and severe Israeli-made starvation with deliberate restrictions on essential supplies.
The WHO described the figures as evidence of an unprecedented public health collapse, fueled by an Israeli-imposed siege that has severely limited access to food, clean water, fuel, and medical care.
The ongoing blockade, in place for over 18 years and intensified since the start of the 2024 Gaza war, has turned Gaza into “a zone of slow man-made starvation.”
Health officials in Gaza say the Israeli control over border crossings and its repeated targeting of aid convoys have choked humanitarian efforts.
The closure of vital crossings, including Kerem Shalom and Rafah, has left warehouses empty, hospitals without medicine, and families relying on animal feed or wild herbs for survival.
Children have been the hardest hit as the WHO noted that malnutrition-related deaths are rising fastest among infants and toddlers, many of whom suffer from acute wasting, dehydration, and preventable infections made deadly by hunger and lack of treatment.
“This is a man-made crisis,” said a WHO regional official, noting that “starvation is being used as a weapon of war.”
The organization called for an immediate international intervention to lift the Israeli blockade and guarantee unrestricted humanitarian access, warning that the continuation of the Israeli siege would lead to a sharp rise in mortality over the coming months.
Local doctors in northern Gaza reported that entire families have collapsed from hunger in areas where aid has not reached for weeks.
“People are dying silently,” said Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Gaza’s Health Director, noting that “This is not a natural disaster, and it’s engineered deprivation.”
The WHO urged all parties to uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law, emphasizing that denying food and medical assistance to civilians constitutes a grave violation that could amount to a war crime.
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