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UN: Children in Gaza Starve as Blockade and Bombardments Continue
The ongoing blockade of Gaza has turned into a devastating humanitarian crisis, particularly affecting children and the elderly, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
Juliette Touma, spokesperson for UNRWA, described the crisis in stark terms during a press briefing in Geneva. “The siege on Gaza is the silent killer of children, of older people,” she said. “Families – entire households of seven or eight – are surviving by sharing a single can of beans or peas. Imagine not being able to feed your children. Children in Gaza are going to bed starving.”
Thousands of aid trucks remain blocked from entering Gaza. “We have over 5,000 trucks loaded with lifesaving supplies stationed across the region, ready to go in,” Touma said. “But access is being denied. This is crippling humanitarian operations and endangering the lives of civilians already suffering from relentless airstrikes.”
Rafah: A City in Ruins
The southern city of Rafah, once Gaza’s main aid gateway from Egypt, has been left in ruins. Aerial footage shows widespread destruction, with buildings flattened as far as the eye can see.
“Rafah is no longer recognizable,” UNRWA stated. “All around, there is only devastation.”
Approximately 97 percent of Rafah has been subjected to forced evacuation orders, displacing around 150,000 people. Nearly a year ago, military operations displaced 1.4 million Gazans, leaving homes, hospitals, and shelters damaged or destroyed.
Starting Over Again and Again
The level of displacement across Gaza is staggering. “Over 90 percent of the population has been displaced — not once, not twice, but up to 12 or 13 times,” Touma reported. “They are forced to start their lives from scratch repeatedly.”
Prior to the war that began in October 2023, Gaza relied on 500 trucks a day to deliver food, medicine, and essential goods. Since March 2, however, no humanitarian or commercial supplies have been allowed into the territory — marking the longest aid blockade since the conflict began.
This blockade has depleted food and medicine stocks, while driving up black market prices. “With warehouses empty, prices have jumped tenfold, twentyfold — even 40 times higher,” said Touma. “Parents have nothing left to give their children while watching them go hungry.”
Skyrocketing Food Prices and Collapsing Aid Kitchens
According to the UN World Food Programme (WFP), food prices in Gaza have spiked by 1,400 percent in recent weeks compared to the temporary ceasefire period from 19 January to 18 March 2025.
Last Friday, UN agencies distributed their last reserves to community kitchens, which provide hot meals like lentil soup and rice. Most kitchens are expected to run out of food within days. Sixteen have already shut down over the weekend, and all 25 WFP-supported bakeries have ceased operating.
“Unless new supplies arrive, more community kitchens will close,” Touma warned.
Fuel shortages have further complicated the crisis. Many families can no longer cook due to a lack of gas and have resorted to burning plastic for fuel. “The situation is desperate,” said Touma. “People are doing whatever they can just to feed their families.”
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This tragic humanitarian situation continues to unfold, as calls for safe, sustained access for aid workers and critical supplies grow increasingly urgent.
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