Gaza Herald– A four-year-old Palestinian girl, Razan Abu Zaher, died of hunger on Sunday in central Gaza. Her death is one of dozens caused by a deepening famine that has gripped the besieged territory under Israel’s blockade. A medical source confirmed she succumbed to severe malnutrition, her tiny, weakened body unable to endure the prolonged starvation.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, at least 76 children and 10 adults have died of hunger-related causes since October 2023, with most deaths occurring after Israel intensified restrictions on aid in early March.
Razan was among at least four children who died of hunger in the past three days alone. In the last 24 hours, 18 more Palestinians lost their lives due to starvation, a chilling indication of the escalating crisis.
Her mother had earlier described the unbearable struggle to find milk or nutritious food. Before the war, Razan had been healthy and full of life. But after months of siege, her health deteriorated beyond recovery.
Gaza’s humanitarian catastrophe worsened in March when Israeli authorities halted the entry of aid convoys. Although some restrictions were eased in late May, international aid groups warn that the small trickle of supplies entering Gaza is nowhere near sufficient. The population of over two million is now suffering under what many have described as a man-made famine.
Israeli officials claim the aid restrictions are to prevent misuse by Hamas, but Palestinian officials and international organizations say it is Israel’s own policies that are choking off life-saving assistance. The United Nations has repeatedly reported being denied access to move aid freely within Gaza, while food and medical supplies pile up just beyond reach.
Hospitals are overwhelmed with starving children and adults. Dr. Khalil Al-Daqran, a spokesperson for Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, where Razan died, said Gaza is going through an unprecedented level of famine. He described the children dying now as “robbed of their lives twice, once by bombs and once by hunger.”
The health ministry warned that hundreds of Palestinians are arriving at hospitals in severe exhaustion, with their bodies too fragile to survive. The situation, they said, is spiraling toward mass death unless immediate intervention occurs.
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights described the physical toll of hunger as shocking, with people now so emaciated they barely recognize one another. “We are wasting away before each other’s eyes,” one account read.
Hospitals Overwhelmed, Doctors Starving
At field hospitals, doctors are themselves running on empty. One medical official reported that staff haven’t received proper meals for days. Even relief organizations that once provided warm food have now run out of ingredients.
The UN’s top relief officials recently warned that food is disappearing fast across Gaza. Many Palestinians searching for food are being killed. In June alone, over 5,800 children were diagnosed as acutely malnourished, making it the deadliest month so far for child hunger.
A volunteer doctor with a humanitarian medical mission described the unfolding horror: “Those who die instantly are the lucky ones. Others are left to suffer through unimaginable pain, injuries, infections, and slow starvation.”
