Residents of the Gaza Strip have shared harrowing accounts of how severe hunger and famine are destroying lives, after a UN-backed report officially confirmed famine in the territory for the first time.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) described the famine as “entirely man-made”, warning that more than 500,000 people face catastrophic levels of hunger characterised by starvation, destitution, and death.
For Reem Tawfiq Khader, a 41-year-old mother of five from Gaza City, the announcement of famine came too late.
“We haven’t eaten any protein for five months. My youngest child is four years old – he doesn’t know what fruit and vegetables look or taste like,” she told the BBC.
Her words reflect the daily struggle of families who have been cut off from adequate food supplies for months.
Another resident, Rajaa Talbeh, 47, a mother of six, said she had lost 25kg (55lbs) since the war began. She now lives in a makeshift tent after fleeing her home in Gaza City.
Suffering from gluten intolerance, she explained how she can no longer find food she can eat:
“Before the war, a charity used to help me get gluten-free products. Since the war began, I can’t find what I need in the market, and even when I do, I can’t afford it.”
Meanwhile, 29-year-old mother Rida Hijeh revealed that her daughter Lamia’s weight has dropped from 19kg to 10.5kg in just months.
“There is simply nothing for the child to eat. There are no vegetables, no fruits,” she said.
Doctors told her that Lamia suffers from severe malnutrition, but she has received no treatment or support.
The UN-backed IPC declared famine in Gaza City and surrounding areas, blaming the crisis on man-made restrictions that have blocked food aid.
While Israel denies that famine exists in Gaza, humanitarian groups, UN agencies, and eyewitnesses confirm widespread starvation and death.
The report warns that conditions will worsen if immediate action is not taken to allow unrestricted humanitarian aid into the territory.
Residents now face a triple burden — bombardment, displacement, and famine. Many live in tents that fail to shield them from summer heat or winter cold, while food scarcity deepens their suffering.
The famine has already caused widespread weight loss, swelling, thinning hair, and nerve damage among children. Without urgent aid, experts fear the death toll will rise sharply.
The famine in Gaza is not a natural disaster but a preventable humanitarian crisis. Families like Reem’s, Rajaa’s, and Rida’s are forced to watch their children starve, with little hope for immediate relief.
As the UN and humanitarian agencies push for greater aid access, the world is being urged to act swiftly to prevent further suffering and loss of life.
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