Gaza on the Brink: WHO Declares Catastrophic Hunger Crisis as 91% Face Food Insecurity
With Israeli blockade tightening, Gaza’s health and humanitarian sectors collapse under famine-like conditions, warns WHO and local officials.
Watan-The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday that the situation in the Gaza Strip is “catastrophic,” with two million people suffering from hunger.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists at WHO headquarters in Geneva that the organization is also facing historic funding challenges due to reduced contributions from donor countries.
“We are witnessing the greatest disruption in WHO funding in its history,” he added.
Gaza Health Ministry: 91% Face Food Crisis Due to Israeli Blockade
In Gaza, Dr. Munir Al-Bursh, Director-General of the Ministry of Health, announced Thursday that 91% of the population is experiencing a “food crisis” as a result of the ongoing Israeli blockade and the complete closure of border crossings since March 2.
Al-Bursh stated, “Gaza is enduring a horrific humanitarian disaster, combining hunger, poverty, and disease, due to the ongoing genocide and suffocating Israeli siege through the closure of crossings and denial of aid.”
He added, “About 91% of the population is facing a severe food shortage,” noting that 65% of residents lack access to clean drinking water and that around 92% of children and nursing mothers are suffering from acute malnutrition—posing a direct threat to their lives and development.
Gaza Officials Urge UN to Declare Famine as Blockade Deepens Humanitarian Collapse
Al-Bursh emphasized that “Gaza is experiencing a complete collapse across all sectors, as Israel uses starvation as a weapon of war in clear violation of international humanitarian law.”
He called on the United Nations to formally declare a state of famine in Gaza, asserting that “field indicators, medical data, and humanitarian evidence meet international criteria for such a declaration.”
He also urged the international community to take urgent action to support Gaza’s health and food sectors and save the population from the ongoing catastrophe caused by continuous genocide and blockade.
On Thursday, Gaza’s Government Media Office announced that the territory has entered an “advanced stage of famine” due to the blockade.
Ismail Al-Thawabta, Director-General of the office, stated that “the Israeli occupation has imposed a suffocating siege and completely closed the crossings for more than two months.”
The initial phase of a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between Hamas and Israel ended in early March 2025, after it began on January 19. Israel withdrew from the agreement and resumed its offensive on March 18.
Since March 2, Israel has shut Gaza’s crossings, preventing the entry of food, aid, medical supplies, and goods, severely worsening the humanitarian situation, according to governmental, human rights, and international reports.
Gaza’s 2.4 million residents now rely entirely on aid, after 19 months of ongoing genocide have left the majority in poverty, as confirmed by World Bank data.
This humanitarian catastrophe unfolds amid the displacement of more than 90% of the population, many of whom have been displaced multiple times. People are now living in overcrowded shelters or out in the open without housing—conditions that have led to the spread of disease and epidemics.
With U.S. backing, Israel has been committing acts of genocide in Gaza since October 7, 2023, resulting in over 170,000 Palestinian casualties, including the majority being women and children, along with more than 11,000 missing and massive infrastructure destruction.
