The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has condemned the deliberate use of hunger as a weapon against Palestinians in Gaza, warning that the situation has become increasingly dire. With widespread food shortages and the collapse of access to clean water, people are now collapsing from hunger in the streets. For many families, survival is a daily gamble between starvation and bombardment.

In a statement issued Wednesday, UNRWA called for the immediate and safe delivery of humanitarian aid under UN supervision. The agency stressed that only unrestricted access can prevent further mass suffering and loss of life. It urged the international community to ensure that life-saving supplies reach the most vulnerable without obstruction.

UNRWA also renewed its demand for a full lifting of the Israeli blockade, which it says is directly obstructing the flow of food, medicine, and vital assistance. The siege, now in its tenth month, has strangled Gaza’s ability to meet even the most basic human needs. Entire communities are now enduring famine conditions, with children among the first to die.

Since October 2023, over 189,000 Palestinians have been killed or wounded in what international bodies and observers increasingly describe as genocidal violence. Despite repeated rulings from the International Court of Justice ordering a halt, the assault continues. With more than 11,000 missing and hundreds of thousands displaced, Gaza now stands as a symbol of collective punishment in full view of the world.