Every 80 Minutes a Life Lost : They’re Starving Children to Death in Gaza – And the World Is Letting It Happen
GAZA — JULY 26, 2025 — The humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip has reached a devastating new milestone as Abdul Qader Al-Fayoumi, a young Palestinian child, died Friday morning from malnutrition and starvation. His death raises the confirmed toll from hunger-related causes to 114 people, including 82 children, amid Israel’s continued siege of the territory and near-total blockade of humanitarian aid.
Medical personnel at al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City confirmed that Al-Fayoumi succumbed to extreme malnutrition, a condition now rampant across Gaza after more than nine months of conflict and over 130 days of full blockade.
Mass Starvation Spreads Across Gaza
A coalition of over 100 international humanitarian organizations, including Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders (MSF), and Oxfam, issued an urgent appeal earlier this week, warning of “mass starvation” and an unfolding famine crisis in Gaza.
“Doctors report record rates of acute malnutrition, especially among children and older people,” the statement read.
“Markets are empty, waste is piling up, and adults are collapsing on the streets from hunger and dehydration.”
The organizations highlighted that only 28 aid trucks per day have entered Gaza in recent weeks — a fraction of the minimum needed to support a population of over 2.3 million Palestinians, many of whom have gone weeks without assistance.
They emphasized that the UN-led humanitarian system has not failed, but has been actively prevented from functioning due to Israeli-imposed barriers and red tape.
“States must act. Demand a permanent ceasefire, open all crossings, remove all restrictions, and restore a UN-led response,” the joint statement urged.
“The time for waiting is over.”
Children on the Brink: ‘A Generation Being Starved to Death’
Health officials across Gaza are sounding increasingly desperate alarms. The Director of Al-Shifa Hospital stated that 17,000 children are currently suffering from severe malnutrition.
“We’re seeing memory loss, exhaustion, and complete physical collapse,” he said. “This is a generation being starved to death.”
According to the Gaza Government Media Office, 650,000 children under age five are at imminent risk of acute malnutrition, and 96% of the population is facing severe food insecurity, including over 1 million children.
“This is a silent massacre,” said a spokesperson for the Palestinian Ministry of Health, adding:
“We hold the Israeli occupation and the international community fully responsible. We urgently call for the opening of all crossings for the entry of food and medicine.”
A Systematic Starvation Policy
According to Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, one Palestinian dies of hunger every 80 minutes in Gaza, as Israel continues what rights groups are calling a “systematic starvation policy”.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has also declared that thousands in Gaza are “on the verge of catastrophic hunger.” An Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report in May projected that nearly 25% of Gaza’s population could soon face famine-level food insecurity (IPC Phase 5).
Controversy Over GHF: ‘Slaughterhouses for the Starving’
In response to international outrage, a U.S. and Israeli-backed organization, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), began distributing aid on May 27 — bypassing UN agencies and existing humanitarian structures. However, the group has faced heavy criticism for allegedly politicizing and militarizing aid distribution.
International humanitarian organizations and the UN have distanced themselves from GHF, citing concerns over:
- Aid being restricted to central and southern Gaza, forcing displaced people to walk long distances through unsafe areas.
- Aid sites described as “mass death traps” due to Israeli attacks on aid seekers.
- A distribution model that exacerbates forced displacement and excludes northern Gaza, where starvation is most acute.
Since the GHF began operations, over 900 Palestinians have been killed and 60,000 injured near its aid collection sites, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Forty-nine others remain missing, last seen heading toward these sites in search of food.
“Weaponizing aid in this manner may constitute crimes against humanity,” warned Doctors Without Borders.
“Every day, Palestinians are met with carnage in their attempts to receive food.”
International Appeals Amid Blockade
Despite repeated global calls, Israel continues to block or severely restrict aid convoys, with crossings at Rafah and Kerem Shalom mostly closed since March 2. Human rights organizations accuse Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war, in violation of international law.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reiterated on Sunday:
“The Israeli authorities are starving civilians in Gaza. Among them are one million children.”
Jagan Chapagain, Secretary-General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, warned of “an acute risk of famine” and called for unhindered humanitarian access.
“No one should have to risk their life to get basic humanitarian assistance,” he said.
Conclusion: A Humanitarian Catastrophe, Not a Natural Disaster
The situation in Gaza continues to deteriorate rapidly, not due to natural causes, but due to what humanitarian agencies and legal experts increasingly describe as deliberate policies of siege and deprivation.
With 114 confirmed starvation deaths, including 82 children, the humanitarian emergency in Gaza is now a stark indictment of the international system’s failure to protect civilians and uphold basic human rights during war.
Unless immediate, unrestricted aid is allowed into Gaza and a permanent ceasefire is established, health experts warn that thousands more — mostly children — could di
