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Desperate people cling to empty pots waiting for food in Gaza | CNN

Gaza's Silent Crisis: Starvation and Malnutrition Grip a War-Torn Enclave

In the shattered streets of Gaza, where the echoes of conflict drown out the cries of the hungry, a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding with devastating precision. Amid the rubble of bombed-out buildings and the constant threat of airstrikes, millions of Palestinians are facing an invisible enemy: starvation. This is not just a byproduct of war; it is a deliberate siege on sustenance, where food scarcity has morphed into widespread malnutrition, claiming lives and stunting futures. CNN's international correspondent, reporting from the edges of this besieged territory, paints a harrowing picture of a population pushed to the brink, where aid trickles in like drops of rain in a desert, insufficient to quench the thirst of despair.

The crisis in Gaza has roots in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, which escalated dramatically in October 2023 and shows no signs of abating nearly two years later. What began as a military offensive has evolved into a blockade that severely restricts the flow of essential goods, including food, water, and medical supplies. According to humanitarian assessments, over 2.3 million people—virtually the entire population of Gaza—are now reliant on aid for survival. Yet, the delivery of this aid is hampered by bureaucratic hurdles, security concerns, and the destruction of infrastructure. Trucks laden with flour, canned goods, and nutritional supplements often sit idle at border crossings, their contents rotting under the sun while families inside Gaza ration crumbs.

At the heart of this tragedy are the children, the most vulnerable victims of this man-made famine. In makeshift clinics scattered across refugee camps, doctors report a surge in cases of severe acute malnutrition, a condition that leaves young bodies frail and susceptible to disease. One such story emerges from a tent in Rafah, where a mother named Aisha cradles her emaciated toddler, Ahmed. At just 18 months old, Ahmed's ribs protrude like the bars of a cage, his eyes sunken from weeks of inadequate feeding. "We used to have rice and vegetables," Aisha whispers, her voice cracking. "Now, it's whatever scraps we can find—sometimes just boiled weeds from the roadside." Ahmed is one of thousands; health experts estimate that at least 10% of Gaza's children under five are acutely malnourished, with rates soaring in northern areas cut off from aid convoys.

The malnutrition crisis is exacerbated by the collapse of Gaza's agricultural sector. Once fertile lands that produced olives, citrus fruits, and vegetables have been razed by bulldozers or contaminated by unexploded ordnance. Fishermen, who traditionally supplemented diets with protein from the Mediterranean, are restricted to a narrow coastal zone, their boats often targeted or turned back. The result is a diet devoid of diversity: families subsist on monotonous meals of bread and lentils when available, leading to micronutrient deficiencies that cause stunted growth, weakened immune systems, and long-term cognitive impairments. In adults, the toll is equally grim—elderly residents succumb to organ failure, while young men and women, once the backbone of society, waste away, their strength sapped by hunger.

Aid organizations are sounding the alarm, but their pleas often fall on deaf ears amid geopolitical stalemates. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the primary lifeline for Gaza's population, has repeatedly warned of an impending famine. In a recent report, UN officials described scenes of desperation: crowds swarming aid distribution points, only to be dispersed by chaos or violence. "We're not just fighting hunger; we're fighting a system that seems designed to perpetuate it," one aid worker confided anonymously, highlighting the dual challenges of Israeli inspections that delay shipments and Hamas's internal distribution issues that sometimes lead to hoarding.

International efforts to alleviate the suffering have been piecemeal at best. Airdrops, initiated by countries like the United States and Jordan, provide dramatic visuals of parachutes descending with pallets of food, but they are inefficient and reach only a fraction of those in need. Maritime corridors, such as the U.S.-built pier off Gaza's coast, promised a steady influx of supplies but have been plagued by rough seas, security incidents, and operational failures. In one instance, a convoy of trucks from the pier was ambushed, underscoring the perils of operating in a war zone. Despite these setbacks, some progress has been made; in early 2025, a temporary ceasefire allowed for the entry of over 500 trucks in a single week, a rare glimmer of hope that briefly stabilized food prices in local markets.

Yet, the underlying causes persist. Israel's stated aim to dismantle Hamas's military capabilities has led to widespread destruction, including the targeting of what it claims are militant hideouts in civilian areas. This has inadvertently—or, as critics argue, deliberately—crippled Gaza's food supply chain. Bakeries, once humming with the aroma of fresh pita, lie in ruins, their ovens silenced. Water desalination plants, vital for irrigating crops, have been damaged, forcing reliance on contaminated sources that spread diseases like cholera, which further compounds malnutrition by causing diarrhea and dehydration.

Personal testimonies from Gaza's residents reveal the human cost beyond statistics. Take Mohammad, a father of four from Khan Younis, who scavenges through debris for anything edible. "My children ask for fruit, for meat, but all I can offer is my apologies," he says, his hands calloused from digging. Mohammad's family is among the displaced, having fled multiple times as frontlines shift. In the north, where Israeli forces have maintained a tighter grip, reports of starvation deaths are mounting. Elderly women, too weak to queue for aid, perish quietly in their homes, their bodies discovered days later by neighbors.

The psychological impact is profound. Hunger breeds hopelessness, fueling cycles of trauma that will scar generations. Mental health experts note rising cases of depression and anxiety, particularly among youth who see no future beyond survival. "Starvation isn't just physical; it erodes the soul," explains a psychologist working with Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Programs to provide therapeutic feeding—specialized pastes rich in vitamins—are underway, but they are overwhelmed, with waiting lists stretching into the hundreds.

Globally, the response has been a mix of condemnation and inaction. The International Court of Justice has issued provisional measures calling for unimpeded aid access, yet enforcement remains elusive. Protests in major cities worldwide demand an end to the blockade, while diplomatic talks in Cairo and Doha aim for a lasting truce. U.S. officials have pushed for increased aid, but domestic politics complicate matters, with aid packages tied to broader Middle East strategies.

As the sun sets over Gaza's horizon, the question lingers: how much longer can this endure? Without a political resolution, the starvation crisis risks becoming normalized, a footnote in a protracted conflict. Aid alone cannot solve what war has wrought; it requires a cessation of hostilities, open borders, and a commitment to rebuild. For now, the people of Gaza cling to resilience, sharing what little they have in a testament to human endurance. But resilience has its limits, and in the face of unrelenting hunger, those limits are being tested like never before.

In the words of one aid coordinator: "This isn't about politics; it's about humanity. Every delayed truck is a life hanging in the balance." As the world watches, the fate of Gaza's starving millions serves as a stark reminder of the costs of inaction, urging a collective reckoning before it's too late.

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Read the Full CNN Article at:
[ https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/24/world/video/gaza-food-starvation-malnutrition-hunger-aid-hancocks-pkg-intl ]