In northern Gaza, the desperation for food has reached a critical level, as hundreds of Palestinians were seen chasing a truck carrying flour in a frantic bid to secure something to eat. The scene, captured by eyewitnesses and humanitarian workers, reflects what the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) now calls “new and astonishing levels of desperation.”
The humanitarian crisis in the region continues to deteriorate rapidly. According to the Hamas-run Health Ministry in Gaza, more than 100 people have died of starvation in recent days alone. The UN estimates that one-third of Gaza’s population is now going for days without eating, raising fears of mass famine if urgent action is not taken.
Despite claims by the Israeli government that it is allowing humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, several aid agencies argue that the supplies being allowed in are far too little and not enough to meet the scale of the need. Groups like the World Food Program and the World Health Organization (WHO) have warned that food, water, and medical supplies are running out fast, and the situation is compounded by extreme difficulties in delivering aid safely to civilians.
Accessing humanitarian aid has become increasingly dangerous. Since May 2025, over 1,000 people have reportedly been killed while trying to collect food near distribution sites, including those overseen by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Many of these deaths have occurred in areas where civilians gather to receive aid.
The Israeli army maintains that it fires only warning shots to control crowds, but witnesses say many people are being directly targeted or injured by live bullets while queuing or scrambling for food. Videos from the ground show chaos and panic as trucks approach, with civilians risking their lives to grab whatever little aid is available.
On the medical front, the crisis is also worsening. The World Health Organization reported that one of its main warehouses in central Gaza was struck during Israeli ground operations, resulting in the loss of vital medical supplies. WHO officials say this further limits their ability to treat the sick and wounded, many of whom are already facing life-threatening conditions due to injuries, dehydration, and disease.
Israeli military operations in central Gaza have also intensified in recent weeks, displacing thousands more people and making it harder for aid convoys to move safely. The presence of active military zones and airstrikes along major roads has forced several humanitarian organisations to suspend or reduce their activities in the area.
The continued blockade and limited access points into Gaza have left humanitarian organisations struggling to coordinate relief. Many say that crossing points are tightly controlled and that even when trucks are allowed in, they are often delayed or redirected, missing the most affected communities.
International calls for a ceasefire or humanitarian pause have been growing, but so far, efforts at the diplomatic level have not resulted in a stable agreement to protect aid corridors or civilians. In the meantime, aid groups are warning that without immediate, large-scale intervention, the death toll from starvation and lack of medicine could rise sharply in the coming weeks.
As Gaza faces mounting humanitarian pressures, the images of starving civilians and overcrowded aid trucks underscore the urgency of global response. Observers say the scenes from northern Gaza are not just a humanitarian failure but a warning of an even larger disaster if relief efforts do not increase quickly and substantially.
