More Than 100 NGOs Warn of ‘Mass Starvation’ Spreading Across Gaza

More than 100 humanitarian organisations have issued an urgent warning that mass starvation is spreading across Gaza, as diplomatic efforts resume in Europe to secure a ceasefire and improve aid access.

The statement, issued on Wednesday and signed by 111 aid groups including Doctors Without Borders (MSF), Save the Children, and Oxfam, comes ahead of the United States’ senior envoy’s scheduled visit to Europe for high-level discussions concerning the crisis.

Humanitarian Crisis Reaches Critical Point

Israel is facing growing international criticism over the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in the Gaza Strip, where over two million people are enduring severe shortages of food, water, and basic medical supplies.

The crisis stems from the ongoing 21-month conflict, which began following the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023.

The United Nations (UN) reported on Tuesday that over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces while attempting to access food aid since late May, when the US- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began operating. This initiative has sidelined the UN-led aid distribution system, further complicating relief efforts.

NGO Statement Highlights Starvation and Systemic Failure

In a stark declaration, the 111 aid organisations said:

“Our colleagues and those we serve are wasting away.”

Their joint demands include:

• An immediate negotiated ceasefire
• The opening of all land crossings
• The unhindered flow of humanitarian aid via UN-led mechanisms

‘Hope and Heartbreak’: Aid Blocked Inside and Outside Gaza

The humanitarian coalition described a grim picture of aid warehouses filled with supplies—both inside and outside Gaza—that remain inaccessible due to restrictions and security barriers.

“Palestinians are trapped in a cycle of hope and heartbreak, waiting for assistance and ceasefires, only to wake up to worsening conditions,”
– Excerpt from NGO statement

They warned of not just physical suffering but also severe psychological trauma, saying:

“Survival is dangled like a mirage… Humanitarians cannot operate on shifting timelines or wait for political commitments that fail to deliver access.”

Humanitarian Access: Fact Check

Diplomatic Moves and US Envoy’s Visit

The call for action coincides with the announcement that US envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Europe this week to hold talks on Gaza, and may later visit the Middle East.

According to US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce, the envoy is:

“Arriving with a strong hope that we will come forward with another ceasefire as well as a humanitarian corridor for aid to flow, that both sides have in fact agreed to.”

Despite Israel easing its two-month-long aid blockade in late May, Gaza’s residents continue to suffer from dire shortages.

Israel maintains that humanitarian aid is entering Gaza, and accuses Hamas of:

• Stealing aid to sell at inflated prices
• Firing upon civilians queuing for assistance

Malnutrition and Deaths Among Children

According to the head of Gaza’s largest hospital, 21 children have died from malnutrition and starvation in the past three days alone, underlining the escalating toll on the most vulnerable.

International Mediation Stalled

Efforts to broker a ceasefire remain at a standstill, despite ongoing negotiations in Doha between Israel and Hamas that began on 6 July.

Mediators—Qatar, Egypt, and the United States—have made little progress, with talks dragging on for over two weeks with no tangible outcome.

Global Calls for an End to War

Recently, over two dozen Western countries issued a joint statement calling for an immediate end to the war, asserting that the suffering in Gaza had:

“Reached new depths.”

Conflict Toll: Deaths on Both Sides

As the humanitarian system in Gaza teeters on the brink, aid agencies are making an unequivocal call: Ceasefire, unrestricted aid access, and an end to political obstruction are urgently needed to prevent further mass starvation and civilian deaths.