Thu May 22 15:37:47 UTC 2025: ## Gaza Faces Starvation Crisis as Aid Trickles In, Deaths Reported
**Gaza Strip** – At least 29 Palestinian children and elderly individuals have died from starvation-related causes in recent days as a humanitarian crisis grips the Gaza Strip, according to Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan. He warned that thousands more are at risk despite the entry of limited aid into the besieged enclave.
Abu Ramadan echoed concerns raised by the UN, stating that predictions of mass fatalities among infants due to malnutrition are “very realistic,” and potentially underestimated. While Israel has allowed some humanitarian assistance to enter Gaza following international condemnation of its 11-week blockade, aid organizations say the amount is woefully insufficient.
“No civilian has received anything yet,” stated Younis al-Khatib, president of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, noting that many aid trucks remain stalled at the Kerem Shalom crossing. While approximately 90 truckloads entered Gaza on Thursday, Abu Ramadan emphasized that the majority contained only flour for bakeries.
The UN’s World Food Programme (WFP) confirmed that a few bakeries have resumed operations after receiving limited supplies, calling it a “critical first step.” However, the agency stressed that “assistance must be scaled up” and that “bread alone is not enough for people to survive.”
Despite the arrival of some aid, Israeli military operations continue throughout Gaza. Reports indicate that at least 51 Palestinians have been killed since Thursday morning. The Israeli military has also issued new evacuation orders for residents of Jabalia and Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, signaling a planned expansion of military activity in the area.
Al Jazeera’s Tareq Abu Azzoum reported that while the aid is welcomed, it is a “drop in the ocean” compared to the population’s needs. He emphasized that 500 aid trucks are needed daily to avert a full-blown famine.
Residents described dire conditions with empty homes and widespread hunger. “Our homes are empty – there is no bread, and our children are going hungry,” said Gaza resident Ahmed Abed al-Daym. Reem Zidiah echoed the despair, stating, “All of us here in Gaza, we don’t think about tomorrow because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow – whether we’re going to live or die.”
Action Against Hunger teams on the ground warned that critical nutritional supplies for children under five are on the verge of depletion.
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