Gaza: In Gaza, Israel's deadly siege has made desperation a daily reality for over 2 million Palestinians. This dire situation has forced residents to scavenge for food, eat animal feed and grass, and risk their lives for basic sustenance. Since October 2023, mass starvation induced by Israel's blockade on aid has claimed the lives of at least 122 Palestinians, including 83 children, with the crisis worsening.
According to Anadolu Agency, multiple international organizations, including medical groups and rights monitors, have sounded alarms, warning that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians face imminent death as aid convoys are blocked from entering Gaza. Experts caution that beyond the immediate toll, the long-term psychological and societal trauma of these starvation tactics will haunt generations of Palestinians.
Alex de Waal, a leading expert on famine, compared the situation to the Great Irish Famine of the 1840s, which left lasting scars for over a century. He expressed concerns that Gaza's trauma and degradation will be a wound taking generations to heal.
The UN recently warned that over 1 million children in Gaza are severely affected by starvation and malnutrition due to restricted humanitarian access. UN spokesperson Farhan Haq noted that nearly 5,000 of 56,000 children under the age of five screened in central and southern Gaza were acutely malnourished in the first half of July.
Ingrid de Zwarte, another famine expert, highlighted the physical and developmental toll of hunger on children. She pointed out that children born to malnourished mothers during the Dutch Hunger Winter of 1944-1945 suffered long-term health issues. De Zwarte emphasized the need for urgent action to prevent similar consequences for Gaza's children.
De Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University, warned that Gaza's suffering will increase exponentially if left unaddressed. He stressed that the breakdown of society, marked by skyrocketing prices, theft, violence, and displacement, is imminent.
Furthermore, de Waal argued that the evidence of famine in Gaza is overwhelming, despite the lack of comprehensive data. He noted that societal breakdown is a profound symptom of famine, underscored by people scavenging for food and hiding it from neighbors.
De Zwarte emphasized the need for a formal declaration of famine to compel international intervention, though this is constrained by the lack of reliable data from Gaza. She stressed the importance of political will and decisive action to prevent and halt starvation crimes.
De Waal highlighted Gaza as a severe example of deliberate, weaponized starvation. He pointed out that despite proximity to international organizations capable of providing aid, the blockade persists. He recalled how Israel collaborated with the World Health Organization to vaccinate Gaza's children during a polio scare, demonstrating the capability to provide aid swiftly.
De Waal lamented the reactive approach to famine response, emphasizing the obligation to prevent famine rather than react to it. He criticized the lack of fundamental actions to stop the ongoing mass starvation in Gaza.
De Zwarte called on the international community to enforce its commitments under UN Security Council Resolution 2417, which condemns the use of starvation as warfare. She urged for sanctions and legal prosecution to prevent and halt starvation crimes.