Gaza, April 12, 2025: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has issued a grave warning about the deepening humanitarian emergency in the Gaza Strip, where food, medicine, and essential supplies are rapidly running out amid an ongoing Israeli siege.
“All basic supplies are running out in Gaza. It means babies, children are going to bed hungry,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA’s director of communications.
Now in its sixth week, the Israeli blockade has cut off both humanitarian aid and commercial goods, pushing the enclave to the brink of famine. According to UNRWA, food stocks are nearly depleted, bakeries have closed, and widespread hunger is setting in.
The agency called for immediate international action to avert a further deterioration of the crisis.
The siege follows the renewal of a deadly Israeli military campaign on March 18, breaking a brief ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal that had been in place since January.
Since October 2023, more than 50,900 Palestinians — the majority of them women and children — have reportedly been killed in the onslaught.
The humanitarian situation has been further compounded by legal proceedings against Israeli leadership. The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel is also facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
UN agencies and humanitarian groups continue to urge for unimpeded access to deliver emergency relief and a durable ceasefire to protect civilians trapped in the conflict zone.
