Hunger’s Grim Grip: How Food Shortages Devastate Gaza’s People

By: Dr. Bissan Anbar

In Gaza, hunger is not just a feeling in the pit of your stomach; it is a silent, merciless force that is tearing lives apart. Imagine this: borders closed, aid barely trickling in, and families facing a daily battle just to put food on the table. It is a nightmare that leaves deep scars of suffering and malnutrition on every soul. According to Cirri (2024), after almost seven months of Israeli airstrikes, individuals are unable to fulfill even their most fundamental food requirements. They have depleted all means of survival, resorting to consuming animal feed, pleading for assistance, and liquidating their possessions to procure sustenance. Many find themselves in a state of utter poverty, with some succumbing to starvation (United Nations, 2024).

For over six long months, the people of Gaza have been deprived of the basics: meat, chicken, milk, and eggs. Instead, they are forced to scrape by on meager portions of non-nutritious food and legumes. Imagine the frustration of a stomach growling for sustenance, only to be met with empty plates and hollow promises.

Weight loss becomes a cruel measure of this suffering, with folks shedding an alarming 15 to 20 kilograms on average. For instance, a vibrant spirit from the North of Gaza, named Latifa shared she is now a mere shadow of her former self, having lost a staggering 20 kilograms to the relentless grip of hunger.

In the North, where food is as scarce as water in a desert, some are driven to desperate measures, even resorting to eating grass in a futile attempt to quiet the gnawing hunger. Meanwhile, bones ache and muscles cry out in protest as the body’s essential nutrients, like calcium and iron, vanish into thin air.

But the toll of hunger is not just physical; it is etched into the very essence of Gaza’s people. Faces once lit up with laughter and joy are now clouded with exhaustion and despair. The war has altered and reshaping the Gazan identities. Even children are not spared, their innocence overshadowed by premature aging brought on by hunger-induced stress.

Day by day, the lines on their faces deepen, bearing witness to the silent agony of life under siege. Wrinkles become badges of survival, earned through countless missed meals and sleepless nights. Israel has significantly limited the access of essential humanitarian aid into Gaza, despite warnings from its allies and the United Nations about the potential for famine in certain areas of the Palestinian territory. Additionally, its military has repeatedly targeted and killed Palestinian civilians as they waited to receive aid in the Strip (Al-Jazeera, 2024).

In conclusion, the severe restrictions imposed by Israel on the entry of critical humanitarian supplies into Gaza, despite warnings from allies and the United Nations about the risk of famine, underscore a pressing need for international action to address the humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territory. Furthermore, the repeated attacks on Palestinian civilians by the Israeli military as they await aid exacerbate the suffering and call for urgent measures to ensure the protection of civilian lives and the facilitation of humanitarian assistance to those in need.