A food crisis in Gaza has reached "new and astonishing levels of desperation," according to officials from the World Food Program, an arm of the United Nations that provides nutritional assistance around the globe. They estimate that about 20 percent of the 2.1 million people still living in the besieged strip are facing starvation conditions.
Though the situation in Gaza has been worsening for months, the news seemed to break through in American media this week, as both The New York Times and The Washington Post published major reports on the ongoing famine. Citing the U.N. data as well as eyewitness accounts from doctors on the ground in Gaza, the Times reported that "hollow-eyed, skeletal children languish on hospital beds or are cared for by parents, who gaze helplessly at protruding ribs and shoulder blades, and emaciated limbs resembling brittle sticks." The Post published a similarly stunning report, accompanied by this disturbing photo of an emaciated child in his mother's arms:
Gaza faces a severe humanitarian crisis as Israeli restrictions on aid lead to widespread malnutrition and starvation, with hospitals overwhelmed by malnourished children. https://t.co/wtBCqcijez
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 24, 2025
