Gaza faces catastrophic hunger crisis as UN confirms entire population at risk of famine

The United Nations has confirmed that the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip has reached catastrophic levels, with its entire population of approximately 2.3 million people now facing acute food insecurity. As of Friday, May 30, 2025, UN officials described the situation as “the most severe hunger crisis in the world,” citing ongoing Israeli blockades that have restricted the flow of essential aid into the besieged enclave.

What Is Happening in Gaza Right Now?

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), aid convoys into Gaza have dropped to a fraction of what is needed to support basic survival. Jens Laerke, the agency’s spokesperson, said the region is experiencing an “unfolding tragedy” that has resulted in a total collapse of food systems, warning that Gaza is now “the hungriest place on Earth.” His remarks came during a media briefing in Geneva on May 30, where he described the level of access to humanitarian aid as a “drip-feed” that fails to match even the minimal thresholds for emergency relief.

The crisis stems from the continued closure of critical border crossings—including the Rafah crossing from Egypt and the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing from Israel—both of which have been largely inactive since early May. Aid trucks attempting to enter through these points have either been delayed indefinitely or outright denied access. The limited aid that has entered is mostly through small-scale airdrops or irregular land deliveries, which humanitarian agencies say are inadequate and uncoordinated.

How Did the Gaza Hunger Emergency Reach This Point?

This worsening crisis follows months of intensified conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began after the October 2023 hostilities escalated into a prolonged war. Since March 2025, Israeli forces have expanded their military campaign into Rafah, further displacing residents and exacerbating an already dire humanitarian landscape. The blockade, tightened in tandem with the ground offensive, has crippled food distribution, clean water access, and medical relief networks.

The World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF have confirmed through recent assessments that nearly half a million people in Gaza are now classified under IPC Phase 5, the most extreme level of food insecurity, indicating catastrophic hunger and imminent risk of death without urgent intervention. Malnutrition among children has surged alarmingly. According to a UNICEF statement released May 29, over 70,000 children under five are suffering from wasting and require immediate nutritional support. The report also notes that 17,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are severely malnourished and at risk of complications.

What Has Been the Role of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation?

Amid growing international scrutiny over the ineffective delivery of aid, a new U.S.- and Israel-backed mechanism—the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—was introduced in early May to coordinate aid distribution. However, the GHF’s operations have been criticized by multiple humanitarian actors, including UN agencies and independent NGOs, for bypassing the existing multilateral coordination frameworks.

Eyewitnesses and aid workers on the ground have reported scenes of chaos at aid distribution centers managed by the GHF, particularly in northern Gaza and Rafah. There are confirmed reports of Israeli forces firing tear gas and live rounds to disperse crowds during aid drops, resulting in further injury and panic. The GHF has so far not issued a public statement addressing the operational concerns, nor has it clarified the volume of aid it claims to have delivered.

What Are the International Responses and Demands?

Global humanitarian bodies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), and Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), have issued urgent calls for the full and immediate opening of all land crossings into Gaza. The WHO has warned that more than half of the hospitals in the territory are no longer functional due to fuel shortages, destruction from airstrikes, and the inability to import medical supplies. Combined with the food crisis, this has created a “death trap,” according to the agency’s latest alert.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has reiterated appeals for a humanitarian ceasefire, stating in a May 30 address to the Security Council that the “suffering in Gaza is man-made and preventable.” His remarks were echoed by the European Union, which issued a formal statement urging Israel to lift the blockade and facilitate unimpeded humanitarian access.

Meanwhile, the United States has faced mounting pressure from global allies and aid organizations to exert diplomatic leverage over Israel to ease the blockade. Although Washington has pledged additional food aid, critics argue that logistical bottlenecks at border points continue to render such promises ineffective on the ground.

What’s Next for the People of Gaza?

With summer temperatures rising and access to clean water also restricted, the public health outlook in Gaza is rapidly deteriorating. Cholera, dysentery, and other waterborne diseases are beginning to spread among children and the elderly, compounding the malnutrition crisis. The absence of refrigeration due to power outages has rendered what little food remains inedible in many cases.

OCHA, WFP, and UNICEF have all called for an immediate and scaled-up humanitarian operation that includes safe corridors for aid convoys, reactivation of border crossings, and cessation of hostilities that disrupt supply routes. However, with negotiations stalled and the blockade still firmly in place, the window to avert a full-scale famine is narrowing by the hour.

Global Indifference or Paralysis? How the World Is Responding to Gaza’s Hunger Crisis

Analysts warn that the Gaza famine may become a defining humanitarian failure of the international system unless urgent corrective action is taken. As the UN attempts to rally consensus for a new humanitarian resolution, political divisions within the Security Council continue to impede coordinated intervention. Aid agencies are also facing a funding crisis, with many reporting depleted reserves due to donor fatigue and bureaucratic bottlenecks.

Public sentiment in the Arab world has sharply turned against Western powers for their perceived inaction, while protest movements are growing in cities across Europe and North America demanding an end to the blockade. Within Israel, there is also emerging debate among civil society organizations about the long-term consequences of the Gaza strategy on regional stability.