Gaza Faces Famine Crisis as One in Three Go Days Without Food, UNICEF Warns

Gaza is on the brink of famine, with one in three Palestinians going days without food, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned, as the death toll from starvation reaches 162, including 92 children. The agency has called for urgent international action to address the escalating humanitarian crisis driven by Israel’s ongoing war.

Ted Chaiban, UNICEF’s deputy executive director for humanitarian action, said on Friday that more than 320,000 young children are at risk of acute malnutrition, with indicators in Gaza surpassing famine thresholds. “We are at a crossroads, and the choices made now will determine whether tens of thousands of children live or die,” he stated, following a recent visit to Israel, Gaza, and the occupied West Bank. “The suffering is most acute in Gaza, where children are dying at an unprecedented rate.”

On Saturday, 17-year-old Atef Abu Khater died of malnutrition at al-Shifa Hospital, according to medical sources. Previously healthy, Khater had been in intensive care, no longer responding to treatment, his father told media. Gaza’s Ministry of Health reports that since Israel’s war began on 7 October 2023, at least 60,000 Palestinians have been killed, including over 18,000 children, with many more presumed dead under rubble.[

Ahmed al-Najjar, a journalist sheltering in Khan Younis, described the situation as “tragedy and torment” amid relentless bombardment, forced starvation, and a security vacuum. “It’s not just the constant fear of Israeli bombs, but a total absence of safety,” he told Al Jazeera. “Even walking to buy flour feels uncertain, with no police or security presence, and systematic targeting of forces in so-called safe zones.”

Israel’s blockade, tightened in March, severely restricted aid until late May, when the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by Israel and the US, took over distribution. The UN reports over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed seeking food at GHF hubs, with whistleblowers alleging deliberate shootings by Israeli soldiers and US contractors. International outcry over images of emaciated children prompted Israel to allow more aid this week, including daily “tactical pauses” in military operations and new aid corridors

On Friday, US envoy Steve Witkoff and Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited a GHF site in Gaza, spending over five hours to develop plans for food and medical aid delivery, Witkoff posted on X. Meanwhile, Western and Arab nations have resumed aid airdrops, but Chaiban stressed these are insufficient, urging 500 daily aid trucks to meet needs. “What’s happening is inhumane,” he said, calling for a sustained ceasefire and political resolution.

UN agencies and aid groups, including the World Food Programme, warn that Gaza’s 2.1 million people face catastrophic hunger, with 500,000 in famine-like conditions. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) notes two of three famine thresholds—food consumption and malnutrition—have been met, with deaths from starvation rising. UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the crisis a “humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions,” demanding an “ocean” of aid and an immediate ceasefire. Israel denies deliberate starvation, blaming Hamas for aid disruptions, though a US assessment found no evidence of systematic theft. Critics, including Amnesty International, accuse Israel of using hunger as a weapon, citing its control over aid and deadly distribution methods. As Gaza’s health system collapses, with 80% of facilities damaged, the UN and 109 humanitarian groups warn that without massive, unimpeded aid, mass starvation will worsen.