Gaza’s starvation crisis: Why food aid alone can’t stop the deaths
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Famine in Gaza is deepening under "Israel’s" blockade, with experts warning that food aid alone cannot reverse mass starvation without urgent medical care and infrastructure restoration.
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Palestinians receive food rations at a donation point in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on February 2, 2024, as fighting continues between "Israel" and the Palestinian Hamas group. (Said Khatib / AFP)
A deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza is driving widespread starvation, with experts warning that the situation can no longer be resolved by food aid alone. In late July, the world’s leading hunger monitor confirmed famine is unfolding across the enclave, marked by rising hunger-related deaths, malnutrition, and disease.
Nearly 200 people have died of starvation, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, though experts believe this figure is an undercount. Many deaths linked to severe acute malnutrition may be recorded under other causes, and many others occur outside medical facilities, where documentation is difficult.
The Israeli blockade on Gaza, now in its 22nd month, has severely restricted the flow of food, medicine, and fuel. Even if aid access improves, experts warn that reversing Gaza's starvation requires more than just an increase in food deliveries. Malnourished patients, particularly children, need targeted therapeutic care, not just calories.
“Just sending food into a crisis situation doesn’t really solve the problem of severe acute malnutrition,” said Robert Akparibo, a global health and nutrition expert at the University of Sheffield. “The availability of food alone is not enough.”
Severe malnutrition can trigger refeeding syndrome, a dangerous condition involving sudden shifts in fluids and electrolytes. It can cause seizures, respiratory failure, and cardiac arrest if patients are not closely monitored and carefully treated.
Why food aid alone cannot stop starvation in Gaza
Experts say the most vulnerable patients must first be stabilized before receiving regular food. High-risk individuals, especially children, should be treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), a calorie-dense, shelf-stable paste, or special high-energy milks. In extreme cases, intravenous nutrition is necessary.
“The impacts of malnutrition in Gaza will not be easily or quickly undone with a focus on food aid alone,” wrote Dr. Pooja Yerramilli of Johns Hopkins University.
Those in critical condition, including children suffering from infections or unable to keep food down, require inpatient care with antibiotics, deworming, and nutrition therapy, according to Francesco Checchi, a professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The collapse of Gaza’s health infrastructure is compounding the crisis. The World Health Organization reports that 94% of hospitals in Gaza are damaged or destroyed, and all four specialized malnutrition treatment centers are overstretched and running low on fuel, with supplies expected to run out by mid-August.
“We’re seeing the shortages on the medical side; we’re seeing it on the nutritional side,” said Dr. Mohammed Fadlalla of Doctors Without Borders.
Even when children recover from severe acute malnutrition, many relapse due to persistent food insecurity. Checchi warns that without addressing root causes, recovery is often temporary.
International scrutiny of Israeli blockade and aid restrictions
The Israeli government continues to deny the existence of famine in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently dismissed reports of starvation as a “bold-faced lie,” a position contradicted by US President Donald Trump, who acknowledged that “real starvation” is occurring.
Since May, the United Nations has been sidelined from aid distribution, replaced by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by the US and "Israel." The Famine Review Committee has criticized the foundation, warning that its distribution model is inadequate and could lead to mass starvation, even without the violence surrounding aid centers.
As of July 31, the UN human rights office reported that over 1,300 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid near GHF distribution sites. The Israeli Occupation Forces deny targeting civilians, claiming only warning shots were fired.
Starvation in Gaza: a consequence of the Gaza genocide
The starvation crisis is not limited to patients; medical staff themselves report symptoms of malnourishment. Aid workers say they are witnessing people “wasting away” among their teams, threatening their ability to provide care.
Beyond the immediate deaths, the long-term impacts of Gaza's starvation are severe. Children may suffer permanent health damage, while injured and sick individuals take longer to heal, overwhelming the few remaining hospitals.
“Every one of our patients that we’re operating on has some level of malnourishment,” said Dr. Fadlalla. “I can tell you firsthand that everybody in Gaza is hungry, everybody.”
