People in Gaza have become so desperate for food that they’re now scouring roads for scraps dropped by aid convoys, as the war-torn territory edges closer to famine, according to United Nations (UN) officials . UN aid worker Olga Cherevko witnessed an elderly man alone on the roadside, kneeling to pick up handfuls of spilled lentils with his bare hands and stuffing them into his shirt. Meanwhile, UN teams continue working to bring fuel and supplies through the Kerem Shalom crossing, but the effort falls far short of what’s needed to prevent mass starvation.
The hunger crisis has reached devastating levels across Gaza. Mothers who can’t breastfeed because they’re not eating enough are now feeding their babies ground chickpeas, bread, and rice—foods that aren’t safe for infants. UNICEF called this “a condition that we can prevent” and urged more humanitarian access. The World Health Organization stressed that Gaza’s health needs are huge and require a steady flow of medical supplies.
Violence continues to threaten those seeking help. Health workers reported Wednesday that at least 50 people were killed and 400 injured while waiting for food near Zikim crossing in the north. Cherevko, who works with OCHA, said her team was held up for two hours Thursday before being allowed to reach the crossing. She noted that while Israel’s weekend announcement of daytime military pauses has slightly cut wait times for convoys, it’s not nearly enough.
Fuel shortages are crippling basic services. “We need hundreds of thousands of liters of fuel entering every day to power even the most basic facilities—water, sanitation, healthcare, emergency communications,” Cherevko said. Without fuel, water treatment plants and medical infrastructure can’t function properly.
Four days after Israel declared tactical pauses, OCHA said people are still dying while seeking aid and from hunger and malnutrition.
“Unilateral tactical pauses alone don’t allow for the continuous flow of supplies needed to meet Gaza’s immense needs,” the agency warned.
