The death toll from famine and malnutrition has risen to 300, including 117 children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
As children continue to die from starvation in Gaza, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell has said that the famine is due to the inability to deliver aid rather than food shortages.
“We’re seeing Palestinian children finally facing what we’ve been yelling and screaming about for months and months and months, which is terrible famine,” Russell said in an interview with CBS on Sunday.
Children do not start wars and they have no power to end them. But they are paying the biggest price.
Children must always be protected and cared for. https://t.co/eZH2pEZ7po
— Catherine Russell (@unicefchief) August 24, 2025
She stressed, “This did not happen because there were cyclones or droughts. This happened because we could not get enough aid in to these children.”
The situation indicates that children “have been spending months and months without sufficient food,” Russell explained.
117 Children Dead
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health update on Monday, the death toll from famine and malnutrition has risen to 300, including 117 children, with 11 new deaths reported in the past 24 hours.
“Children literally waste away. And you see it in rooms where suddenly they’re all quiet. Children are so quiet because they have no energy even to cry,” she stated. “And to see that happen, especially in a place where food is not very far away, there’s no reason for this.”
Famine is now a reality in Gaza. A man-made disaster for children and families that we have been warning about.
Urgent, large-scale action is needed NOW for children and families. pic.twitter.com/jDs3X1PVWD
— UNICEF (@UNICEF) August 23, 2025
On Friday, the latest results of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) analysis confirmed that famine is occurring in Gaza City and its surrounding areas.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the situation “a man-made disaster” and “a failure of humanity itself.”
Smotrich on Gaza Civilians: ‘Let Them Die of Hunger or Surrender’
Famine Expected to Expand
Conditions are expected to worsen between mid-August and the end of September 2025, with famine projected to expand to Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis.
‘A Failure of Humanity Itself’: UN Confirms Famine in Gaza for First Time
UNICEF has estimated that about 18,000 children in Gaza “have already died …from a whole range of issues”, according to Russell, who added, “that’s about 28 children a day.”
“That’s almost a classroom of children every single day who have died since the beginning of this conflict,” she stated.
‘Apocalyptic’ Scenes at GHF Sites
On the question of the work of the controversial Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), Russell said the scheme was “not working.”
She explained that the UN had 400 aid distribution points in Gaza, as opposed to the GHF’s four sites in the entire enclave.
Israeli Soldiers and US Mercenaries Fired at Palestinians at GHF Sites – Eyewitness
In addition, she referred to video footage shared on television and social media “of these almost apocalyptic situations where people are streaming towards these places, trying to get food.”
Russell emphasized that people “are getting shot,” and added, “It’s a terrible situation, and it doesn’t work. It’s not working that well.”
She stressed that UNICEF, the UN and other international NGOs should be allowed to “do our work too.”
“We know how to do it. We know how to do it in a way that it gets to the people who need it,” Russell stated.
‘Not Aid, Orchestrated Killing’ – MSF Demands Immediate Dismantling of GHF
The US and Israeli-backed GHF aid scheme, launched at the end of May, has been widely condemned by human rights organizations and the UN, which warned that the “weaponization of food for civilians, in addition to restricting or preventing their access to life-sustaining services, constitutes a war crime and, under certain circumstances, may constitute elements of other crimes under international law.”
Death Toll Nears 63,000
Since reneging on the ceasefire on March 18, Israel has continued its bloody aerial bombardment across the Gaza Strip, killing and wounding thousands of Palestinians.
Starting on October 7, 2023, the Israeli military, with American support, launched a genocidal war against the people of Gaza. This campaign has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 62,700 Palestinians, with more than 158,000 wounded. The vast majority of the population has been displaced, and the destruction of infrastructure is unprecedented since World War II. Thousands of people are still missing.
Israeli Strike on Nasser Hospital Kills Journalists and Patients in Gaza
In addition to the military assault, the Israeli blockade has caused a man-made famine, leading to the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians—mostly children—with hundreds of thousands more at risk.
Despite widespread international condemnation, little has been done to hold Israel accountable. The nation is currently under investigation for genocide by the International Court of Justice, while accused war criminals, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, are officially wanted by the International Criminal Court.
(PC, Anadolu)
“This happened because we could not get enough aid in to these children” – what were you prevented from getting aid? “Israel”. Identify the criminal: “Israel”!! “man-made disaster” by whom?? “Israel”!! “UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the situation “a man-made disaster” and “a failure of humanity itself.” — by whom, Guterres?? “Israel”!! Russell said the scheme (GHF) was “not working.” — yes, not working by getting aid in but working perfectly by exterminating starved Palestinians. Set up by GHF? No!! The USA and “Israel”! Criminals!