DaysofPal- Gaza is on the verge of an unprecedented famine, according to a senior Palestinian health official, as the ongoing conflict and blockade continue to wreak havoc on the civilian population.
Marwan al-Hams, director of the field hospitals in Gaza, described the situation as dire, with the population enduring severe hunger and a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian crisis.
“We are powerless; there is no infant formula for children nor medicine for pregnant women,” al-Hams said in a statement to the press on Sunday.
“The Gaza population is suffering from extreme deprivation, and we urgently need the world to act and end this genocide and starvation.”
Al-Hams appealed directly to the international community, urging immediate intervention. “We want to live in peace, just like any other people in the world,” he added, emphasizing the desperation of civilians who are trapped under a suffocating blockade.
Hospitals in Gaza are also facing a critical shortage of fuel needed to run power generators. According to al-Hams, these supplies will only last for three more days, placing the lives of thousands of patients in jeopardy.
“The situation is catastrophic,” he warned, underscoring the immense strain on Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure as it struggles to manage the mounting casualties and medical emergencies caused by the ongoing conflict.
Earlier, the Government Media Office (GMO) in Gaza issued an urgent warning that the strip is “teetering on the edge of mass deaths” due to escalating famine and continued deprivation.
“The famine is spreading, with over a million children at extreme risk,” the GMO said in a statement. “Vital sectors, including healthcare and food supply, are collapsing under the weight of a suffocating blockade and shameful international silence.”
The GMO confirmed that more than 3,500 children in Gaza are on the verge of starvation, citing Israel’s ongoing blockade and its prevention of vital food and medical supplies from entering the region for the past 64 days.
“The situation for children is critical. More than 70,000 children have been admitted to hospitals for severe malnutrition, and about 290,000 children are now on the brink of death,” the statement read.
The office also revealed that approximately 1.1 million children in Gaza are lacking the minimum daily food necessary for survival, as the blockade continues to hinder the flow of aid into the region.
“Over 70,000 children have already been hospitalized with severe malnutrition, and the number is rising every day,” the GMO said.
Since the beginning of the conflict in October 2023, the toll of Israel’s policies has been devastating. The Government Media Office reported that at least 57 Palestinians have died as a direct result of starvation, a number that is expected to increase as the blockade remains in place.
“We are facing an imminent humanitarian catastrophe,” the statement read, calling on the international community to intervene and put an end to the blockade and ongoing siege of Gaza.
The continued closure of crossings has compounded the suffering, leaving Gaza’s population cut off from essential humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies, and fuel. Aid organizations and health officials have repeatedly warned that without immediate action, the situation could spiral into an even larger crisis, affecting the entire population of Gaza, especially the most vulnerable — children, the elderly, and the sick.
International calls for intervention have intensified, but the lack of concrete action from world powers has led to widespread frustration and despair among Palestinians. Al-Hams, in his call for action, echoed this sentiment, saying, “The world must act now. Gaza cannot wait any longer.”
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=62676
