The Gaza Strip is experiencing an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe as the ongoing conflict continues to devastate essential infrastructure, leaving 2.3 million Palestinians facing severe shortages of food, clean water, and medical care. The situation has deteriorated dramatically since October 2023, with nearly the entire population now dependent on humanitarian assistance for survival.
The healthcare system has been pushed to the brink of complete collapse, with the majority of hospitals rendered non-functional due to sustained attacks and critical supply shortages. Simultaneously, food production capabilities have been decimated, bakeries have shuttered due to lack of fuel and flour, and water sanitation infrastructure has sustained catastrophic damage. These interconnected crises have created what international organizations describe as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in modern history.
According to reports from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, approximately 95 percent of Gaza’s population is experiencing acute food insecurity at crisis, emergency, or catastrophic levels. The blockade imposed on the territory has severely restricted the entry of humanitarian aid, with only a fraction of needed supplies reaching the population. In October 2024, an average of merely 37 trucks per day entered Gaza, compared to the pre-conflict average of 500 trucks daily.
Healthcare System on Verge of Total Collapse
Gaza’s healthcare infrastructure has sustained devastating damage throughout the conflict. A comprehensive report from the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights documented at least 136 strikes on 27 hospitals and 12 other medical facilities between October 2023 and June 2024. These attacks claimed significant casualties among doctors, nurses, and medical personnel while causing extensive damage to critical infrastructure.
As of late 2024, only 17 of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remained partially functional, operating at severely limited capacity. The hospitals that continue operating face overwhelming patient loads while grappling with critical shortages of fuel, medicines, medical supplies, and staff. More than 500 medical professionals have been killed since the conflict began, according to Palestinian Ministry of Health reports.
The destruction extends beyond hospital structures to encompass the entire healthcare ecosystem. Approximately 70 percent of primary healthcare centers are no longer functional, and 130 ambulances have been damaged or destroyed. Medical evacuation requests are turned down at alarming rates, with almost 60 percent denied according to World Health Organization data. More than 100,000 wounded individuals currently require medical care, with an estimated 14,000 needing specialized treatment unavailable within Gaza.
Critical Medical Supply Shortages
Healthcare facilities throughout Gaza face severe shortages of essential medications and medical equipment. Doctors Without Borders teams report being forced to turn away patients due to insufficient supplies. Critical shortages affect medications for common but serious conditions including hypertension, respiratory infections, and pain management. The lack of proper antibiotics and diagnostic equipment compromises treatment effectiveness for numerous conditions.
The situation has become particularly dire for vulnerable populations. High-risk pregnancies have doubled due to limited access to emergency obstetric care, while 690,000 menstruating women and girls face challenges accessing sanitary products and clean water. Hospitals struggle to provide adequate nutrition to patients, with several bakeries closed and others barely operational due to shortages of flour and fuel.
Neonatal intensive care units face life-threatening fuel shortages that cause electricity to cut out intermittently, shutting off ventilators and oxygen supplies. Premature newborns with respiratory distress syndrome require constant ventilation support to survive, making any power interruption potentially fatal. Medical staff report using makeshift solutions to maintain critical equipment, but these workarounds cannot sustain operations indefinitely.
Attacks on Medical Facilities Raise International Concerns
The pattern of attacks on healthcare facilities has raised grave concerns among international human rights organizations. The UN report documented the use of heavy weapons and air-dropped munitions with wide-area effects near densely populated hospital complexes. In several verified cases, individuals inside hospitals were shot, including a volunteer nurse fatally wounded while looking out a window at Al Awda Hospital in December 2023.
Major hospital complexes have been subjected to repeated military operations. Al Shifa Medical Complex, Gaza’s largest hospital, was raided twice and left in complete ruin by April 2024. Following the Israeli military’s withdrawal, three mass graves were reportedly discovered at the site, raising serious concerns about potential violations of international law. Similar patterns of destruction occurred at Kamal Adwan Hospital, Nasser Hospital, and numerous other medical facilities throughout the territory.
Severe Food Crisis and Agricultural Devastation
Gaza faces an acute food security crisis that has left the vast majority of its population hungry and struggling to access basic nutrition. Food production capabilities have been severely diminished due to ongoing hostilities and extensive damage to agricultural infrastructure. The destruction encompasses farmland, greenhouses, orchards, bakeries, flour mills, and food processing facilities throughout the territory.
By mid-2024, an estimated 67.6 percent of Gaza’s croplands had sustained damage, severely impacting local food production. The fishing industry, a traditional source of nutrition and livelihood, has been decimated with approximately 70 percent of Gaza’s fishing fleet destroyed. Buffer zones established along borders have removed significant portions of arable land from cultivation, further constraining food availability.
Bakery Closures and Bread Shortages
Bakeries, which provide a staple food source for the population, have been particularly hard hit. By late October 2023, a fifth of Gaza’s bakeries had been destroyed through airstrikes. The situation continued deteriorating throughout 2024, with fuel shortages forcing most remaining bakeries to cease operations. In northern Gaza, five out of six functioning bakeries were forced to shut down by September 2024, prompting warnings of imminent famine in the region.
The few bakeries still attempting to operate face multiple obstacles including lack of flour, water, and fuel. Long lines form outside functioning bakeries, with desperate families waiting hours for bread. The destruction of flour mills and warehouses has further constrained the ability to produce and distribute this essential food item. An Israeli missile strike on one of Deir al-Balah’s two flour mills in June 2024 also damaged a World Food Programme warehouse, compounding supply challenges.
Food Distribution Challenges
Even when food aid manages to enter Gaza, distribution faces severe obstacles. Humanitarian convoys encounter frequent denials of movement permits, with denial rates increasing by over 100 percent in October 2024 compared to September. Armed attacks on aid convoys have become increasingly common, with dozens of trucks hijacked and stripped of their contents by organized criminal groups operating amid the security vacuum.
In November 2024, a joint UN convoy carrying food supplies for displaced persons was subjected to organized crime, with 97 out of 109 trucks stolen at gunpoint. Drivers were forced to unload critical aid while facing armed threats. These security challenges, combined with damaged roads and checkpoints, make it extremely difficult for humanitarian organizations to reach populations in need, particularly in northern areas.
Malnutrition and Starvation Warnings
The food crisis has resulted in widespread malnutrition, particularly affecting children. By late 2024, over 40,000 children had been enrolled in treatment programs for global acute malnutrition, with 456 severely malnourished children requiring hospitalization for complications. The Nutrition Cluster reported 38 malnutrition-related deaths by September 2024, with numbers continuing to rise.
Approximately 335,000 children under five years old face high risk of severe malnutrition and stunting. Stunting causes irreparable physical and cognitive impairments when young children’s growth is hampered by inadequate nourishment. Pregnant women lack access to adequate nutrition and healthcare, putting both maternal and fetal health at serious risk. Reports indicate some families, especially in northern Gaza, have resorted to consuming animal feed and weeds to survive.
Water and Sanitation Crisis
Gaza’s water and sanitation infrastructure has sustained catastrophic damage, creating severe public health risks. An estimated 70 percent of water and sanitation facilities have been destroyed or damaged since October 2023. The blockade has cut electricity and fuel supplies essential for operating desalination plants, water pumps, and sewage treatment facilities, causing most systems to shut down.
Access to clean water has plummeted dramatically, with the average person in Gaza receiving only 1.5 to 3 liters of water per day for all needs. This falls far below the World Health Organization’s emergency standard of 15 liters per day and the 100 liters recommended for normal conditions. Approximately 70 percent of Gaza’s population has resorted to drinking salty or contaminated water from wells, significantly increasing health risks.
Water Infrastructure Destruction
The destruction of water infrastructure has been systematic and extensive. By November 2023, an assessment found that of 581 key water and sanitation facilities, 37 had been completely destroyed and 226 showed suspected damage. Israel cut off three pipelines that previously supplied about 15 percent of Gaza’s water needs. Desalination plants that provided the majority of Gaza’s water have been forced offline due to lack of fuel, with northern plants remaining non-functional.
All five wastewater treatment plants and most of the 65 sewage pumping stations were forced to shut down by mid-November 2023 due to energy shortages. The resulting sewage overflow has created hazardous conditions, with untreated waste flooding streets, shelters, and displacement camps. Raw sewage is being discharged directly into the Mediterranean Sea, posing environmental and health hazards.
Health Impacts of Water Scarcity
The water crisis has triggered a surge in waterborne diseases. Cases of diarrhea have occurred at 25 times pre-conflict levels, with over half a million people affected by acute diarrhea. Approximately 80,000 cases of Hepatitis A have been reported, along with increased incidences of jaundice, gastrointestinal infections, and other diseases linked to contaminated water and poor sanitation.
In June 2024, the highly infectious poliovirus was detected in sewage samples from six locations in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah. This discovery prompted urgent vaccination campaigns, with UNICEF and partners vaccinating over 600,000 children. The presence of polio in the environment, combined with overcrowded displacement camps and poor sanitation, creates conditions conducive to disease outbreaks.
The inadequate water supply affects every aspect of daily life. People wait hours in long lines at water distribution points, often traveling several kilometers carrying heavy containers. Women and girls face particular challenges related to menstrual hygiene, with nearly three-quarters lacking privacy for washing. Healthcare facilities cannot maintain proper infection control without sufficient clean water, increasing risks of hospital-acquired infections.
Obstacles to Water Aid
Humanitarian organizations attempting to address the water crisis face multiple obstacles. Israel’s dual-use approval system requires pre-clearance for most water and sanitation supplies, including chlorine, spare parts for desalination units, generators, borehole pumps, and water tanks. From January 2024 to early March 2025, only 28 percent of water and sanitation items requested by Doctors Without Borders were approved by Israeli authorities.
New generators over 30 kilowatts are not permitted to enter Gaza, forcing aid organizations to cannibalize parts from broken equipment to repair functioning units. Water distribution operations face shortages of fuel for pumping and transport, destroyed roads making truck access difficult, and lack of distribution points that have been destroyed in the conflict.
Humanitarian Aid Access Severely Restricted
The delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza has been severely constrained throughout the conflict. Despite international appeals and humanitarian law obligations, the flow of aid has remained far below what is needed to address the scale of need. Multiple factors contribute to this crisis, including border crossing restrictions, denial of movement permits, security challenges, and administrative obstacles.
Between October 2023 and late 2024, the number of aid trucks entering Gaza declined precipitously. October 2024 marked the worst month for humanitarian aid entry since the conflict began, with only 37 trucks per day entering compared to the 500 trucks daily that entered before October 2023. This represents merely seven percent of the previous aid flow, while needs have increased exponentially.
Of humanitarian movement requests coordinated with Israeli authorities in October 2024, 43 percent were denied, 15 percent were impeded, and four percent were cancelled due to logistical and security challenges. Only 37 percent were facilitated. Humanitarian workers report spending five to eight hours daily waiting at checkpoints, significantly reducing operational capacity.
Northern Gaza Particularly Isolated
Northern Gaza has faced especially severe restrictions on humanitarian access. Since early October 2024, Israeli forces have been conducting ground operations and imposed a tightened siege around Jabalia and surrounding areas. The region has experienced a near-total lack of humanitarian aid entering, along with severe communications and internet disruptions that complicate coordination efforts.
Between 100,000 and 131,000 people were displaced from North Gaza governorate to Gaza City between October and November 2024. Those remaining in northern areas, estimated at 65,000 to 75,000 people, face extreme deprivation. An Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee alert in November 2024 warned that famine was imminent in areas within northern Gaza.
Humanitarian organizations characterize the situation in northern Gaza as apocalyptic. A joint statement from 15 UN and humanitarian organizations in November 2024 described hospitals being almost entirely cut off from supplies and coming under attack, with patients killed, vital equipment destroyed, and life-saving services disrupted. The statement called for protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, facilitation of humanitarian operations, and respect for international humanitarian law.
Displacement and Shelter Crisis
The conflict has triggered massive displacement, with an estimated 1.9 million Palestinians, representing 90 percent of Gaza’s population, forced from their homes. Most have been displaced multiple times, with some families moving six or more times seeking safety. The displacement has been driven by continuous bombardment, evacuation orders, and ground operations across different areas of the territory.
Displacement camps and shelters face severe overcrowding and inadequate conditions. In the tiny coastal area of Al-Mawasi, population density reached 30,000 to 34,000 people per square kilometer by August 2024. More than 415,000 displaced people were sheltering in over 100 UNRWA school buildings converted to shelters by November 2024, with many others in makeshift tent camps lacking basic amenities.
The living conditions in displacement sites are dire. People lack adequate shelter, clean water, sanitation facilities, food, and medical care. Tents provide minimal protection from weather, particularly as winter approaches. Overcrowding prevents social distancing and facilitates disease transmission. Access to latrines is extremely limited, with people waiting hours in line, and shower facilities are largely non-existent.
Infrastructure Damage and Uninhabitability
The extent of destruction across Gaza has rendered large areas uninhabitable. By November 2023, the United Nations estimated that 60 percent of all housing had been destroyed. More than 62 percent of residential property has been damaged or destroyed according to assessments conducted in 2024. Analyses found that northern Gaza had been left virtually uninhabitable, with the UN humanitarian chief stating in January 2024 that Gaza had “simply become uninhabitable.”
The destruction extends far beyond housing to encompass virtually all categories of civilian infrastructure. Roads, bridges, and transportation networks have sustained extensive damage. Electricity, water, and telecommunications systems are largely non-functional. Educational facilities, including schools and universities, have been destroyed or damaged. Markets, businesses, and commercial infrastructure have been devastated, eliminating livelihoods and economic activity.
Impacts on Children and Mental Health
Children bear an especially heavy burden in this humanitarian crisis. They comprise a significant portion of casualties, with 786 children under one year of age among documented fatalities. By October 2024, over 35,000 children had lost one or both parents. The psychological trauma inflicted on children is severe and widespread.
After just 16 days of bombardment in October 2023, children developed severe trauma symptoms including convulsions, aggression, bed-wetting, and extreme nervousness. Ninety percent of children in pediatric hospitals exhibited symptoms of anxiety, the majority showed post-traumatic stress symptoms, and 82 percent reported fears of imminent death. UNICEF representatives described the situation for children as the most horrific they had ever witnessed.
The mental health crisis extends across all age groups. An estimated 485,000 people with mental health issues experienced care disruption by January 2024. The relentless stress of displacement, loss of family members, lack of food and water, constant fear of attacks, and absence of safety or stability creates conditions for widespread psychological distress. However, mental health services have been severely limited, with only a fraction of those needing specialized care able to access it.
International Response and Legal Concerns
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has prompted significant international concern and legal action. Multiple United Nations agencies, humanitarian organizations, and human rights groups have issued urgent appeals for ceasefire, increased humanitarian access, and protection of civilians. Various international legal bodies have taken steps to address the situation.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant based on reasonable grounds that they bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare. The warrants cited evidence of deliberately depriving Gaza’s civilian population of objects indispensable to their survival.
A United Nations special committee, commission of inquiry, Amnesty International, and other expert bodies have concluded that the situation constitutes genocide. In October 2025, the International Court of Justice found that Israel is obliged to guarantee sufficient food to Gaza’s population and to allow UNRWA to operate. These legal determinations reflect international consensus about the gravity of the humanitarian situation.
Challenges to Humanitarian Organizations
Organizations providing humanitarian assistance face extraordinary challenges. UNRWA, the largest provider of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, has faced funding cuts, operational restrictions, and Israeli legislation aimed at curtailing its activities. In October 2024, the Israeli parliament passed laws purporting to prohibit UNRWA’s operations and bar contact between Israeli officials and the organization.
As of late 2024 and early 2025, Israeli authorities prevented all UNRWA international staff from entering Gaza for over eight months. The organization has been blocked from bringing in humanitarian personnel and aid despite having substantial pre-positioned supplies including food parcels for 1.1 million people, flour for 2.1 million individuals, and shelter supplies for 1.3 million people.
Other humanitarian organizations report similar obstacles. Médecins Sans Frontières documented having premises hit by missiles despite deconfliction procedures, staff spending excessive hours at checkpoints, and teams coming under fire near Israeli checkpoints despite receiving multiple clearances. More than 240 UNRWA staff members have been killed since October 2023, making this one of the deadliest conflicts for humanitarian workers in modern history.
Ceasefire and Path Forward
A ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 brought temporary respite, with terms calling for Israel to permit up to 600 humanitarian aid trucks daily into Gaza and the release of hostages. The ceasefire enabled many displaced Palestinians to return to their homes for the first time in months and allowed humanitarian organizations to scale up assistance operations.
However, significant challenges persist even under ceasefire conditions. The scale of destruction requires massive reconstruction efforts estimated to cost billions of dollars. Years of blockade and conflict have created endemic shortcomings in infrastructure and service delivery that existed before October 2023 and have been exponentially exacerbated since. Rebuilding Gaza’s healthcare system, water and sanitation infrastructure, housing stock, and economic base will require sustained international commitment.
Humanitarian needs remain acute and widespread. Nearly the entire population requires humanitarian assistance across multiple sectors including food, water, shelter, healthcare, and protection. The psychological trauma affecting children and adults alike will require long-term mental health support. Environmental damage, including destruction of agricultural land and contamination, poses challenges for food security and public health.
Addressing this humanitarian catastrophe requires immediate, unrestricted humanitarian access, sustained delivery of essential supplies, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and adherence to international humanitarian law. The path to recovery and reconstruction depends on ending the blockade, ensuring accountability for violations, and addressing the underlying political issues that have left Gaza’s population vulnerable to repeated cycles of conflict and deprivation.
Conclusion
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza represents one of the most severe disasters of the modern era, affecting virtually every aspect of life for 2.3 million people. The near-complete collapse of healthcare services, severe food insecurity affecting 95 percent of the population, catastrophic water and sanitation shortages, and massive displacement have created intolerable suffering. Children, women, the elderly, and those with chronic health conditions face particularly acute vulnerabilities.
International humanitarian organizations universally characterize the situation as catastrophic and unprecedented in scale. The systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure, severe restrictions on humanitarian access, and ongoing hostilities have prevented effective humanitarian response despite the dedicated efforts of aid workers operating under extremely dangerous conditions. The combination of immediate life-threatening deprivation and long-term damage to health, education, livelihoods, and psychological wellbeing will have profound impacts on generations to come.
The international community’s response, including legal determinations by international courts and urgent appeals from UN agencies, reflects global recognition of the crisis’s gravity. However, concrete action to alleviate suffering has remained insufficient. Sustained ceasefire, unrestricted humanitarian access, protection of civilians, accountability for violations of international law, and addressing root causes of the conflict are all essential elements for ending this humanitarian catastrophe and enabling Gaza’s population to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope for the future.
