Gaza's humanitarian crisis has reached a 'beyond catastrophic' level, according to the United Nations. With medics blocked from key areas and civilians facing deadly risks along aid convoy routes, the territory is bracing for disaster.
Recent data from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlight the grim reality: casualties are mounting both on the road and in makeshift shelters. Although a handful of trucks carrying rice, sugar, and vegetables entered Gaza on Tuesday, steep prices and vanishing essentials deepen the crisis. A 57-gram bag of sugar now costs around $170, while staples like eggs, poultry, and meat have all but disappeared from local markets.
Malnutrition is already claiming lives. Gaza's Ministry of Health reports five new deaths in the past 24 hours linked to starvation, pushing the malnutrition toll to around 200—half of them children.
Worse still, the Food and Agriculture Organization's (FAO) latest satellite survey shows just 1.5% of Gaza's farmland—roughly 2.3 square kilometers—remains both undamaged and accessible. Another 12.4% is undamaged but cut off. A staggering 86.1% of farmland has been damaged, putting the territory on the brink of a full-scale famine.
'People are starving not because food is unavailable, but because access is blocked, local agrifood systems have collapsed, and families can no longer sustain even the most basic livelihoods,' FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu warned.
Humanitarians are calling for uninterrupted, safe access to restore local food production, protect basic rights, and prevent further loss of life. As young global citizens watch, the challenge is clear: urgent action is needed to avert a deeper catastrophe.
Reference(s):
Gaza situation 'beyond catastrophic,' only 1.5% farmland usable: UN
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