Top officials from six United Nations agencies have warned that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is spiraling out of control and called on world leaders to take urgent action.
The appeal comes after Israel blocked all goods, including humanitarian aid, from entering Gaza for over a month.
Since March 2, when a temporary ceasefire collapsed, no aid trucks have been allowed through. Israel insists that Hamas must agree to an extension of the truce before deliveries resume, while Hamas accuses Israel of not honoring the original agreement. With no resolution in sight, aid convoys loaded with life-saving supplies have been stalled at the borders.
UN officials say claims that there is enough food in Gaza do not reflect the reality on the ground. Supplies of food, fuel, and medicine are running out fast. UN-supported bakeries have shut down, hospitals are rationing basic medication, and local markets are empty of essential goods.
In a rare joint statement, the heads of key UN bodies—including the World Food Programme, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization—said that the recent ceasefire had allowed them to reach most parts of Gaza for the first time in the conflict. But that short period of access was not enough to reverse the damage done by nearly 500 days of war.
The agencies warn that Gaza’s health system is collapsing. Hospitals are overcrowded, with dwindling stocks of painkillers and antibiotics. Medical workers are overwhelmed, and trauma cases keep rising as Israeli airstrikes and ground operations continue.
The renewed military offensive began on March 18 after the ceasefire ended. During the brief pause in fighting, 33 hostages held by Hamas—eight of them dead—were exchanged for nearly 1,900 Palestinian detainees. But the truce’s collapse brought back heavy bombings and further displacement.
The war was sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and resulted in 251 hostages being taken to Gaza. Since then, over 50,800 Palestinians have died in the Israeli offensive, according to Gaza’s health ministry.
UN leaders are urging global powers to act now: protect civilians, allow aid to enter, release hostages, and push for a renewed ceasefire. Without immediate intervention, they warn, the situation could become even more catastrophic.