Gaza: from famine to genocide – an unprecedented crisis in the 21st century

In the Gaza Strip, where life seems suspended between rubble and hunger, the population is experiencing an unprecedented tragedy thanks to Israel’s genocide.

Gaza: an unprecedented crisis

The infrastructure that represented the basic hope for access to water, electricity, and health services has been reduced to rubble, leaving hundreds of thousands without any means of surviving with dignity. Hospitals and health centers are operating at less than full capacity, while essential medicines and nutritional supplements are being denied to the population, exacerbating the suffering of patients and pushing large numbers toward silent death.

The collapse of immunity among children and adults has made the spread of old and new diseases a certainty. Diseases that were thought to be under control, such as meningitis and hepatitis, are returning to ravage the weakened Palestinian body, accompanied by a wave of viruses and bacteria that the body is no longer able to resist. Deaths are accelerating, especially among children and pregnant women, who are most vulnerable to malnutrition and poverty under the ongoing siege.

Israel’s genocide has not only left its physical mark, but has also affected the mental health of the population, especially women and mothers. Many of them have lost the ability to sleep or control their anxiety, while sharing with their children a daily fear of death and hunger. Severe psychological disorders threaten the vital functions of the body and increase the fragility of society as a whole. Every day presents a new challenge, as mothers search for food for their children in long queues, while wondering how to maintain their mental health amid the destruction and constant sound of bombing.

The tragedy is worsening

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians live in tents and temporary shelters, without electricity, drinking water, or protection from disease. Children who should be studying and playing stand in food lines carrying plastic bowls instead of school bags, knowing only hunger and fear. Women who have lost their homes struggle to protect their children from cold, hunger, and disease, while the international community watches the crisis in silence.

The tragedy worsens with each passing day, as basic medical needs and humanitarian aid do not reach those who desperately need them, amid systematic looting and destruction of infrastructure. Gaza today is not just a city under siege, but a tragic experience for a nation facing famine, epidemics, and psychological and social collapse at a time when humanity should be a priority for all.

Featured image via the Canary