Manmade mass starvation is striking Gaza, caused by a humanitarian aid blockage, according to World Health Organization (WHO) head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Wednesday. Speaking from Geneva, Tedros stated, “I don’t know what you would call it other than mass starvation, and it’s manmade; that is very obvious.” This is so because of the blockade.”
His statement comes after an urgent plea by more than 100 aid organizations warning that tons of food, water, and medicines still sit undelivered, stranded just outside the Gaza Strip.
October 2023 saw the start of Israel’s continuous battle against Hamas, which drives the crisis. Israel stopped all aid shipments to the enclave in March 2025. Although the embargo was technically lifted in May, aid is still strictly limited as Israel notes the need to stop donations from reaching insurgents. Aid organizations claim that only a trickle of support is now reaching Gaza’s 2.2 million people.
Israel claims it is giving enough assistance and holds Hamas responsible for misusing supplies. Conditions on the scene seem different, though. Ten more starvation deaths were reported overnight by Gaza’s Health Ministry, therefore increasing the official death toll from hunger to 111, most of them in recent weeks.
The WHO claims its figures are likely understated regarding the situation. Malnourishment has killed at least 21 children in 2025; treatment centers are overworked and under-supplied. From March to May, the U.N. and humanitarian organizations could not deliver food for 80 days; existing deliveries remain insufficient.
According to WHO authorities, 20% of pregnant women are impacted, and 10% of those screened are suffering from moderate to severe malnutrition. 5,100 youngsters enrolled in emergency nutrition programs in July alone, including 800 who were desperately thin.
Stressing that the hunger problem is fast worsening and may spiral even further without immediate help, the WHO and humanitarian organizations keep asking for unrestrained access to assistance.
