DaysofPal – Dr. Hanan Balkhy, Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean at the World Health Organization (WHO), confirmed that children in Gaza are dying of hunger, as famine reaches catastrophic levels under Israel’s ongoing blockade.
Speaking during the 78th session of the World Health Assembly, Dr. Balkhy addressed the dire humanitarian and health crisis in the Gaza Strip, which has endured more than 20 months of Israeli military aggression and siege.
“The health infrastructure in Gaza is essentially destroyed,” she stated. “People are living in dangerously unhygienic conditions. Hygiene is the cornerstone of health—and it is simply absent in Gaza.”
Dr. Balkhy emphasized that the healthcare system is collapsing. Only a handful of hospitals remain partially operational, while a devastating shortage of medical supplies persists.
“Roughly 41–42% of essential medications are completely unavailable, the same applies to key vaccines. Additionally, around 64% of medical equipment is no longer functioning,” she said.
Despite these challenges, she praised the resilience of health workers in Gaza who continue to provide care with minimal resources.
Addressing the delivery of humanitarian aid, Dr. Balkhy revealed that 51 WHO aid trucks remain stuck at Gaza’s border, unable to enter. “We’re trying to distribute what we can from WHO warehouses, but the incoming food since the eleventh week of this blockade is far from adequate.”
“Hunger and famine levels are now extremely high. People urgently need food and basic nutrition. Children are dying—some from hunger alone,” she warned.
“When people don’t eat, they starve. Without food, without medicine or treatment—people die. This is the reality,” she concluded.
Since March 2, Israel has maintained a near-total closure of border crossings, blocking humanitarian aid—especially food—into Gaza. This deliberate starvation policy has pushed over 2.4 million Palestinians to the brink of famine, with mounting deaths from hunger and preventable disease.
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