How hunger is killing children in Gaza faster than bombs: Video

Thousands of desperate residents swarmed the Zikim aid distribution centre in northern Gaza on Tuesday, July 22, searching for flour and other basic supplies amid a worsening humanitarian catastrophe.

As food and essentials remain scarce due to ongoing conflict and blockades, some managed to carry home sacks of flour, while others returned empty-handed and exhausted.

Video footage from the area showed men and women trudging along dusty roads with heavy sacks slung over their shoulders. UN-marked vehicles were present at the scene, with children seen clambering onto their roofs in search of assistance or shelter.

Residents say the price of food has skyrocketed beyond reach. “This bag used to cost 25 shekels — now it’s 2,500,” said Ali Abdullah, balancing a sack of flour as he spoke. “That’s $764. I risked my life to get it.” He added that the flour would barely sustain his household of 18 for four days.

Others weren’t so lucky. Wael Abu al-Anzin said he showed up before dawn but left with nothing. “We didn’t take anything,” he said, visibly distraught. “I haven’t eaten in five days. I walked home wondering how I’d feed my children tonight.”

According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, at least 15 people, including four children, have died from famine and malnutrition in the past 24 hours alone. The overall toll now stands at 101 famine-related deaths, 80 of them minors.

The crisis is hitting children the hardest. The Palestinian News Agency estimates that some 900,000 children in Gaza are going hungry, with 70,000 already diagnosed with malnutrition.

This deepening crisis unfolds against the backdrop of ongoing military operations in the region. The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, when a Hamas-led attack on Israel killed 1,139 people and took over 200 hostages. Israel launched a large-scale response that continues to this day.

Since the outbreak of war, the Palestinian Health Ministry reports that 59,106 people have been killed and over 142,000 injured in Gaza. A temporary truce and prisoner exchange brought a brief pause in March, but fighting resumed on the 18th of that month and has not stopped since.