Gaza Strip: The humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip continues to deepen, with 185 starvation-related deaths recorded in August alone, including 12 children, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health. This marks the deadliest month for hunger-related fatalities since Israel launched its military offensive on October 7, 2023.
An additional 19 people, including four children, have died from starvation in the past 48 hours, bringing the total number of such deaths to 367, of which 131 are children.
Health officials report a worsening malnutrition crisis, with over 43,000 children under the age of five and 55,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women now severely undernourished. Alarmingly, 67 percent of pregnant women are suffering from anaemia—the highest rate documented in recent years.
The Ministry warns that dwindling food stocks and medical supplies are crippling emergency response efforts and exacerbating preventable deaths.
On August 22, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reported that 514,000 people—nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population—are facing famine, with projections suggesting this could reach 641,000 by month’s end. Since the famine declaration, 89 additional deaths, including 16 children, have been documented.
On Monday, September 1, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, a 500-member academic body established in 1994, declared that Israel’s actions in Gaza constitute genocide under the 1948 UN Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, intensifying global debate.
The ministry reports that, since October 2023, Israel’s campaign has killed 63,633 Palestinians and injured 160,914. With starvation and violence escalating, urgent international action is needed to avert further catastrophe.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated for clarity.
