DaysofPal- Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), has condemned Israel’s deliberate starvation policy in the Gaza Strip, stating that children are bearing the brunt of this man-made crisis. In a tweet on the X platform, Lazzarini accused the Israeli occupation forces of systematically preventing the entry of food and essential supplies into Gaza, describing the situation as “politically motivated starvation.”
The Gaza Strip is currently enduring the longest closure of its main border crossings in history, with Israeli occupation blocking humanitarian and commercial goods from reaching the territory for over seven weeks. This prolonged blockade has left 2.4 million Palestinians teetering on the edge of famine, with no immediate relief in sight.
Food Stocks Exhausted, Bakeries Shut Down
The World Food Program (WFP) announced on Friday that it had depleted all of its food reserves allocated to families in Gaza due to the ongoing closure of border crossings since March 2. In a statement, the WFP revealed that it delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meal kitchens across the Gaza Strip—facilities that provide approximately 25% of the daily nutritional needs for half of the population. However, these kitchens are now expected to run out of supplies within days, leaving thousands without even this meager lifeline.
All 25 bakeries supported by the WFP were forced to close their doors on March 31 after exhausting their wheat flour and cooking fuel supplies. Food parcels distributed to families have also been exhausted, plunging households into further desperation. The WFP warned of dire consequences, including severe shortages of potable water and cooking fuel, which have driven people to burn unconventional materials just to prepare meals.
A Population Pushed to the Brink
The United Nations echoed these concerns, emphasizing that the nearly two-month ban on humanitarian aid and essential supplies is pushing families in Gaza to the brink of survival. Vital resources such as food, shelter, medicine, and clean water are rapidly depleting, creating conditions ripe for widespread famine and disease outbreaks. Hospitals, already overwhelmed and under-resourced, are struggling to cope with malnourished patients, particularly children, whose fragile health is deteriorating at an alarming rate.
“Man-Made and Politically Motivated Starvation”
Lazzarini described the unfolding catastrophe as entirely preventable, stressing that the suffering in Gaza is not a result of natural causes but rather a calculated policy of deprivation. “What we are witnessing is man-made and politically motivated starvation,” he wrote, calling on the international community to intervene urgently to end the blockade and ensure the flow of life-saving aid.
The UN and humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that without immediate action, Gaza risks descending into one of the worst famines in modern history. Over 60,000 children are already suffering from severe acute malnutrition, while more than a million others face daily hunger, leading to wasting, stunted growth, and irreversible damage to their development.
Global Silence Amid Humanitarian Collapse
Critics argue that the international community’s failure to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its actions has emboldened the continuation of this brutal policy. Despite mounting evidence of war crimes, including the deliberate targeting of civilians and infrastructure, global powers have largely remained silent or complicit, offering little more than rhetoric in response to the crisis.
As Gaza’s children starve and families fight for survival, the world faces a moral reckoning. Will humanity rise to confront this tragedy, or will indifference and inaction allow another generation to be lost to conflict and neglect? For now, the cries of Gaza’s children serve as both a plea and a condemnation—a stark reminder of the cost of silence in the face of injustice.
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