Israeli blockade causes acute malnutrition crisis in Gaza, warns Medecins du Monde

Medical charity accuses Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war amid worsening conditions in the Gaza Strip.

A charity organization distributes food and drinking water to Palestinians in the Jabalia area of northern Gaza, on May 12, 2025. Photo by Abdalhkem Abu Riash/Anadolu

By Clarisa Sendy and Anna Fadiah

A months-long Israeli blockade on Gaza is driving a deepening humanitarian crisis, with acute malnutrition now surging across the war-torn territory. Medical charity Medecins du Monde (MDM) issued a grave warning on Tuesday, accusing Israel of using hunger as a weapon of war, while citing alarming increases in malnutrition rates among children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.

Israeli blockade Gaza malnutrition underscores the gravity of the situation, which has drawn widespread concern from international aid agencies and the United Nations. Since Israel intensified its military campaign in response to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks, the civilian population of Gaza has borne the brunt of a harsh and prolonged siege that severely limits access to essential resources.

Malnutrition reaches crisis levels amid Israeli blockade

According to Medecins du Monde, Gaza's malnutrition rates have now reached levels typically seen only in protracted global humanitarian disasters. Based on data collected from six health centres across Gaza, the organization said acute malnutrition is not only widespread but worsening in tandem with restrictions on humanitarian aid.

The charity said it observed a sharp rise in malnutrition in November 2024, coinciding with a drastic reduction in the number of humanitarian aid trucks allowed into the territory. The rate of child acute malnutrition peaked at 17 percent during that period, reflecting a dramatic deterioration of food security linked directly to Israeli policy decisions.

“Acute malnutrition rates among pregnant and breastfeeding women and children depend on the Israeli authorities' decisions to allow or block humanitarian aid,” MDM emphasized in its report, directly attributing the worsening crisis to the continued Israeli blockade.

Access to aid obstructed by political decisions

Since March 2, Israel has effectively blocked all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, a move that preceded renewed military operations in the area. The flow of aid, which was already inconsistent and inadequate, has now become nearly nonexistent. Key entry points into Gaza, including the Rafah crossing on the Egyptian border, remain closed after Israeli forces took control of Rafah in the spring of 2024.

The Israeli government has defended its actions by arguing that the blockade is intended to pressure Hamas into releasing hostages. However, international humanitarian organizations argue that this strategy comes at the unacceptable cost of civilian suffering and death.

Although Israel’s security cabinet approved the “possibility of humanitarian distribution” in early May, it has simultaneously claimed that sufficient food already exists within Gaza—a statement strongly refuted by aid organizations and UN officials.

Humanitarian groups decry ‘weaponization’ of hunger

Jean-Francois Corty, president of Medecins du Monde, did not mince words in his condemnation of Israel’s policy. “We are not witnessing a humanitarian crisis but a crisis of humanity and moral bankruptcy with the use of hunger as a weapon of war,” Corty said.

He added that the failure of powerful nations to exert pressure on Israel to end the blockade could amount to complicity under international law. “The inaction of states with the capacity to influence Israeli decision-making is morally and legally indefensible,” he said.

The medical charity further reported that in April, nearly one in five pregnant or breastfeeding women, and close to one in four children in areas it monitored, were either suffering from or at high risk of acute malnutrition.

Destruction of infrastructure worsens food crisis

Beyond restricted access to aid, Gaza’s food crisis is exacerbated by the ongoing destruction of its agricultural and sanitation infrastructure. MDM’s report noted that the collapse of these systems, under sustained bombardment and lack of maintenance, has accelerated the degradation of health conditions.

With sanitation facilities in disrepair, diseases that contribute to malnutrition—particularly among children—are spreading. The breakdown of local food production also leaves Gaza completely dependent on external assistance, which is currently blocked at the border.

According to MDM, even though it cannot officially declare famine due to the lack of comprehensive data, the organization emphasized that the indicators point toward a disaster in the making.

UN agencies sound alarm on looming famine

The United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned this week that Gaza is at critical risk of famine. The report estimates that around 22 percent of Gaza’s population—over 500,000 people—face an imminent humanitarian catastrophe without immediate and sustained aid intervention.

The World Food Programme (WFP) also raised concerns, revealing in late April that it had exhausted its food supplies in Gaza. The WFP, like other agencies, has been unable to bring in new stock due to the continuing blockade.

These warnings are not new. Since late 2023, various humanitarian organizations have been calling for unfettered access to Gaza, including safe humanitarian corridors and the restoration of critical infrastructure. However, the situation has only deteriorated, as political and military decisions continue to override humanitarian needs.

International pressure grows but remains insufficient

While international condemnation of the Israeli blockade is mounting, there has been little tangible change. Some governments have voiced concern and called for the protection of civilians, but few have taken concrete steps to force policy reversals or ensure the delivery of aid.

Human rights advocates warn that if the siege continues, Gaza will face an irreversible humanitarian catastrophe, one that will scar a generation and set back the region's development for decades.

The medical charity Medecins du Monde stressed that ending the blockade is not simply a political necessity, but a moral imperative.

“Every day the blockade continues, more children go hungry, more women fall ill, and more lives are lost,” the organization said in its statement. “The hunger in Gaza is not accidental—it is the direct result of deliberate choices.”