Amjad Al-Shawa, head of the Palestinian NGO Network, has warned that the trickle of humanitarian aid allowed into Gaza covers no more than 12% of the population’s needs, leaving children at the mercy of famine. He stressed that Israel’s restrictions and forced aid corridors prevent supplies from reaching the most vulnerable, with hundreds of thousands of children now facing severe malnutrition.

Essential items such as baby formula, nutritional supplements and tents remain critically scarce. The World Health Organization estimates that 300,000 children require immediate nutritional support, yet existing aid covers only a fraction of this. With tents deteriorating, temperatures rising and clean water running out, families are left exposed to disease and despair as Gaza’s health system collapses.

Al-Shawa accused the United States of siding with Israel’s narrative instead of pressuring for land crossings to be opened, despite thousands of aid trucks waiting at the borders. He emphasised that only the reopening of crossings could guarantee efficient, safe and immediate relief, praising Egyptian efforts to push for this step.

As famine deepens and healthcare vanishes, Gaza’s children remain the frontline victims of a siege that strips them of food, medicine and even the chance to survive.