United Nations agencies have warned of a deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where hunger and malnutrition are spreading amid a dire shortage of essential supplies. Aid teams are working under immense pressure to support an exhausted population, with calls growing for the unrestricted entry of humanitarian assistance to meet urgent needs.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the organisation and its partners continue to negotiate with Israeli authorities to facilitate access. Three missions managed to bring food shipments through the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings, along with limited fuel deliveries. Other missions, however, faced delays, including one cancellation due to hold-ups in securing movement permits.
OCHA reiterated its demand for all crossings to be opened and for a broader range of humanitarian and commercial supplies to be allowed in, along with safe passage for relief workers within the enclave. Current conditions are hampering the delivery of life-saving aid, with available fuel described as “a drop in the ocean” compared to actual needs.
Around half of the fuel that entered Gaza last week through Kerem Shalom and Zikim went to the north, where it was used to sustain vital sectors including healthcare, water, emergency response, and telecommunications. But these quantities remain vastly inadequate, with many essential facilities still out of service.
OCHA stressed that a permanent ceasefire is “more urgent than ever”. Temporary unilateral pauses announced by Israeli authorities do not ensure continuous aid delivery, nor do they meet the soaring humanitarian needs. Civilians continue to be killed while searching for food, and deaths from hunger and malnutrition are mounting.
Ricardo Pires, UNICEF’s head of communications, described the situation as “absolutely horrifying”. “It’s hard to believe what your eyes are seeing, yet it’s real,” he said. The enclave’s water production has plummeted to just 40% of normal levels, far below international emergency thresholds.
Pires added that civilians are burning tyres and plastic to keep warm as fuel runs out, warning that “children are breathing in black smoke that could have severe health consequences shortly”. He said children are witnessing scenes that no child should ever see, and remain among the most deeply affected.
The UNRWA agency said access to clean water remains a daily struggle. “Children stand for hours under the burning sun, waiting for a drop of water,” a spokesperson said. “The crisis is escalating, and the world watches in silence.”
Meanwhile, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said ten WHO trucks had departed Egypt’s Al-Arish city for Kerem Shalom, carrying medicines, lab equipment, and water testing kits. Two additional trucks carrying medical supplies and 12 blood product pallets are expected to arrive soon, alongside three more shipments from health partners.
Tedros emphasised that healthcare needs in Gaza are “immense”, demanding sustained, secure access for medical aid and conditions that enable its delivery. He repeated his call for an immediate ceasefire
