Starvation deaths in Gaza are rising sharply as Israel’s blockade and bombardment fuel a man-made famine that has left families without food, clean water, or medical care.
According to health officials in Gaza, at least 263 people have now died from starvation, including 112 children, as of August 17. Hospitals are struggling to cope with the growing number of malnourished patients, many of them infants and toddlers in critical condition.
Children Among the Most Vulnerable
One of the most harrowing cases is that of seven-month-old Hasan Ahmed Felfel, whose worsening malnutrition has put his life at serious risk. Doctors in Gaza City say they are treating him and dozens of other children under dire conditions, with shortages of medicine, baby formula, and therapeutic food supplies.
Malnutrition strikes children hardest, especially within the first 1,000 days of life—from pregnancy through age two. Without treatment, starvation causes organ failure, brain damage, stunted growth, and in many cases, death.
Blockade and Aid Restrictions
The famine crisis is rooted in Israel’s near-total blockade of Gaza’s crossings. Between March and mid-May, food, water, and humanitarian aid were completely sealed off, creating catastrophic shortages. Relief groups report that hundreds of aid trucks—once supplying 500 truckloads a day before October 2023—now sit idle in Egypt and Jordan, barred from entering Gaza.
More than 100 humanitarian organisations, including Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, and the Norwegian Refugee Council, have accused Israel of deliberately weaponising aid by blocking life-saving supplies.
On August 14, Amnesty International stated that Israel’s policies amount to a “deliberate strategy of starvation”, describing the conditions imposed on Palestinians as part of an ongoing campaign of destruction.
Measuring Famine
International experts warn that Gaza is moving deeper into famine. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) defines famine as a situation where:
- At least 20% of households face extreme food shortages,
- More than 30% of the population suffers from acute malnutrition, and
- Death rates exceed 2 per 10,000 people per day.
Humanitarian agencies say all three thresholds are either already being met or dangerously close.
Visible Signs of Crisis
Images emerging from Gaza show children with swollen bellies caused by severe protein deficiency, sunken eyes, and skeletal frames—many measuring below the 11.5cm threshold on MUAC malnutrition tapes, which signals severe acute malnutrition. Without immediate intervention, these children face a high risk of death.
Doctors say the famine is “entirely man-made” and preventable, but without access to food and medical supplies, the death toll will continue to climb daily.
