In Khan Younis, located in the Gaza Strip, a heartbreaking scene unfolded as a frantic crowd pleaded for food aid. Children and adults alike rushed towards charity workers, waving pots and pans in desperation for some of the last remaining rice. The chaos at the community kitchen overwhelmed Niveen Abu Arar, a 33-year-old mother of eight, who was unable to reach the front of the crowd in time. Tearfully leaving with an empty pot, she expressed the dire situation facing her family and many others in Gaza.
Abu Arar’s youngest child had tragically perished in an Israeli strike during the war in 2023, adding to the family’s hardship. With no access to basic necessities like bread and flour for the past month and a half due to Israel’s blockade on aid, Abu Arar felt helpless. The lack of resources forced her to resort to giving her baby water instead of milk to ease her hunger.
As humanitarian groups sounded the alarm on Gaza’s looming starvation crisis, the Israeli blockade was criticized for exacerbating the suffering of the civilian population. The blockade aimed to pressure Hamas, but aid organizations argued that withholding essential supplies amounted to collective punishment and violated international law. Despite accusations of using starvation as a weapon of war, Israeli authorities remained silent.
The dire situation in Gaza was underscored by the scarcity of food, water, and fuel, with prices soaring beyond affordability for many residents. The once food-insecure region now faced widespread hunger, with families struggling to feed their children even one meal a day. Community kitchens were shutting down, and aid groups warned of imminent closures if the blockade persisted.
Gaza’s agricultural sector had been decimated by Israeli airstrikes, leaving the territory reliant on external aid for sustenance. The destruction of farmland and fisheries made self-sufficiency unattainable, leaving Palestinians unable to produce or catch their own food. The lack of shelter and basic supplies further compounded the humanitarian crisis, with millions in need of assistance.
In this unfolding tragedy, individuals like Mustafa Ashour walked for hours to reach charity kitchens, only to face long waits for dwindling supplies. The community in Khan Younis, like many others in Gaza, grappled with the harsh reality of severe deprivation and uncertainty about the future.
“The situation in Gaza is dire, with closed crossings and a complete siege,” said Ashour, a displaced resident from Rafah. “There is a severe shortage of food, water, and basic necessities. The available food is scarce and expensive.” Abu Arar’s family, without support from a charity kitchen, received help from a neighboring family who shared their limited rice supply. NRC’s Keller warned that if Israel maintains its blockade, the consequences will be catastrophic, with potential deaths, breakdown of order, communication failures, and a chaotic situation unfolding. Reported by Julia Frankel in Jerusalem with contributions from Fatma Khaled in Cairo.
