WHO Warns: Gaza on the Brink of Famine, Urges Immediate Food Access

22 July 2025, 11:04 AM

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وقف إطلاق النار - Ceasefire — Shareef Sarhan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The World Health Organization (WHO) has called on the international community to take urgent action and allow the immediate entry of food supplies into the Gaza Strip, amid a worsening humanitarian crisis and famine conditions that pose severe risks to the lives of thousands of civilians, particularly women and children.

غزة — وكالة الأنباء والمعلومات الفلسطينية (وفا) بالتعاقد مع APAimages, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

In a statement released on Tuesday, the organization urged for the protection of its facilities in Gaza and the prompt release of one of its staff members detained by Israeli forces on Monday. WHO warned that the ongoing escalation is hindering humanitarian efforts and endangering the lives of medical personnel.

Despite increasing security and logistical challenges, United Nations health workers continue to operate from their base in Deir al-Balah in central Gaza to provide essential healthcare support to affected populations.

Health System in Gaza on the Verge of Collapse

غزة - Gaza — Physicians for Human Rights – Israel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

WHO reported that approximately 94% of healthcare facilities in Gaza have sustained significant damage due to ongoing hostilities, while half of the hospitals are no longer operational. This has further deteriorated the healthcare situation and contributed to a rising death toll linked to famine and malnutrition.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced on Tuesday that 15 deaths had been recorded in the previous 24 hours, including 4 children, due to malnutrition. This brings the total number of reported famine-related deaths to 101, including 80 children, since the escalation of the humanitarian crisis.

WFP: Civilians Are Dying of Hunger

In a separate warning, the World Food Programme (WFP) stated that the humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached an unprecedented level of deterioration, noting that civilians are dying of hunger in full view of the international community.

According to the WFP, at least 90,000 children and women are currently suffering from acute malnutrition amid a severe and worsening food crisis. The agency cited a sharp shortage of humanitarian aid and increasing obstacles to accessing affected areas.