Aid groups say Gaza is on the brink of famine, with food and medicine stocks nearly gone after Israel’s two-month blockade.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a horrifying new low, with UN agencies warning of skyrocketing malnutrition among children and no food left to distribute. As Israel’s total blockade of the territory approaches two months, medical experts are sounding the alarm that Gaza’s youngest are starving — and dying — in plain sight.

Since Israel halted all aid into Gaza on 2 March, major organisations such as UNRWA and the World Food Programme have run out of food stocks, with essential medicines also dwindling. “We’re staring famine in the face,” said Jonathan Fowler of UNRWA, calling the situation “dystopian and apocalyptic”.

Data from UNICEF reveals that cases of acute malnutrition among children under five nearly doubled in just one month — from 2,027 in February to 3,696 in March. At least 1,600 of those are classed as severe, requiring immediate, specialised treatment which is no longer available.

UNICEF’s Tess Ingram explained the depth of the crisis: “We never see fat babies anymore. They’re born underweight, often premature, because their mothers aren’t getting the nutrients they need.” A recent survey showed 90% of children under two are consuming only breastmilk and grains — nowhere near enough to sustain development.

On a visit to northern Gaza, Ingram recalled speaking to doctors who were powerless to treat starving infants. “Without adequate food supplies, severely malnourished children will get sicker and it will become life-threatening,” she said. Stocks of therapeutic food and micronutrients have been fully depleted, and with no new aid arriving, there is no way to reverse the damage.

The blockade was imposed after Hamas refused to release hostages taken during its 7 October 2023 attack. In March, Israel intensified its military campaign and simultaneously banned UNRWA operations in Gaza and the West Bank, accusing the agency of Hamas infiltration — a claim it denies.

Amid relentless bombardment and collapsing infrastructure, a third of essential medicines — including those for diabetes and infections — are already unavailable, with more to run out within weeks. A round of polio immunisations was also suspended in April due to both the blockade and security risks.

Mercy Corps described the conditions on the ground as “miserable and deteriorating rapidly”. A team member reported: “Food is largely unavailable. People are surviving on whatever canned food or pasta they had stored, or paying unbearable prices for what little is left.” Some families now endure entire days without a single meal.

UNRWA distributed its final 250 emergency food parcels — designed to last two weeks — at the end of April. “There are nearly 3,000 UNRWA trucks loaded with life-saving aid ready to enter Gaza,” Fowler said. “But the crossings remain shut.”

The Israeli government maintains that Hamas controls and exploits the aid, using it to sustain its power and terror operations. Defence Minister Israel Katz recently stated, “Aid must not pass through Hamas. They exploit it to maintain control and profit at the expense of starving civilians.”

During the war, looting of aid convoys was frequent, but UN officials noted that such incidents fell significantly during the brief ceasefire when aid was allowed in. They warn that continued scarcity w