Gaza’s two million residents are facing an unprecedented humanitarian crisis as Israel’s continued closure of crossings pushes the besieged enclave to the edge of famine. For over two weeks, the blockade has choked off vital supplies of food, medicine, and fuel, deepening the suffering of a population already battered by years of siege and conflict.  

According to the Gaza Government Media Office and the World Food Programme (WFP), 70% of Gaza’s population now relies entirely on food aid, while others are forced to survive on canned goods—a grim echo of past crises. The scarcity of fresh meat and soaring prices have left families struggling to put food on the table. Hussam Kalloub, a father of three, shared his despair: “Meat has vanished from the markets. When it’s available, it’s unaffordable. My children are living on scraps.”  

Displaced families, already reeling from the destruction of their homes, face even greater hardships. Mahmoud Abu Tabikh, sheltering in northern Gaza, lamented, “Our iftar tables are empty. Even during Ramadan, we’re surviving on canned food and a little bread.” With bakeries shutting down due to fuel shortages, the situation grows more dire by the day.  

Salama Maarouf, head of Gaza’s Government Media Office, condemned the blockade as a “deliberate act of collective punishment,” warning that children, the elderly, and the sick are bearing the brunt of this man-made disaster. The WFP has raised alarms over the halt in food deliveries since March 2, with stocks dwindling and 1.1 million people in urgent need of assistance.  

As Gaza’s healthcare system collapses and infrastructure crumbles, the international community’s silence is deafening. The people of Gaza, resilient yet exhausted, are calling for immediate action to lift the blockade and prevent a full-scale famine. Without urgent intervention, the world risks witnessing yet another chapter of unimaginable suffering in this long-embattled strip of land.