UN official says one in three Gazans hasn't eaten for days

Under-secretary-general for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said on Monday that one in three people in Gaza has not eaten for days, calling for the rapid delivery of aid and the establishment of a permanent ceasefire, reported Palestine News and Info Agency (Wafa).

In a statement on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, Fletcher stressed that "Gaza is experiencing a humanitarian crisis before the eyes of the world," noting that those trying to obtain food aid are being shot at, and children are "melting" from hunger.

He explained that one in three people in Gaza has not eaten for days, and said: "Aid should not be blocked, delayed, or distributed under attack."

He stressed that aid convoys must be granted permission to cross borders quickly, and emphasised the need to end the targeting of people trying to obtain food aid.

Gaza is experiencing the worst humanitarian crisis in its history, with a severe famine intersecting with a genocidal war waged by Israel since Oct 7, 2023.

Since March 2, 2025, Israel has closed all crossings with the Strip and prevented the entry of most food and medical aid, causing widespread famine within the Strip.

According to the latest figures, 134 Palestinians, including 88 children, have died from famine and malnutrition since Oct 7, 2023.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency warned that malnutrition among children under the age of five doubled between March and June as a result of the ongoing blockade.

Since Oct 7, 2023, the Israeli occupation forces have launched an aggression on the Gaza Strip, resulting in the killing of 59,821 citizens, the majority of whom were children and women, and the injury of 144,851 others, in a non-final toll, as a number of victims are still under the rubble and in the streets, and ambulance and rescue crews are unable to reach them.

- Bernama

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