The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza announced today, Monday, that five more people have died due to the escalating famine in the Gaza Strip.
In a press statement, the ministry reported that hospitals in the Strip recorded five deaths from famine and malnutrition in the last 24 hours, all of whom were adults. This brings the total number of victims of famine and malnutrition to 180, including 93 children.
This marks the second consecutive day that all recorded deaths have been adults.
The famine and dire living conditions are intensifying for Gaza’s residents due to the continued closure of border crossings, which prevents the entry of humanitarian aid for the nearly two million people facing starvation in the Strip.
Mohammed Abu Afash, director of medical relief in the Gaza Strip, confirmed that the aid currently entering the Strip is insufficient to feed even 1% of its population, emphasizing that the humanitarian situation is worsening under the ongoing blockade.
In a statement to Al Jazeera, Abu Afash added that malnutrition cases in Gaza are continuously rising amid a severe shortage of basic food items and the absence of many types of food for months.
He warned of the risks of new diseases spreading in the Strip, which the local health system is unequipped to handle. He stressed the urgent need to open safe corridors for the immediate entry of humanitarian and medical aid.
