Israeli bombardment and blockade have left nearly half a million Palestinians trapped in Gaza City, confined to an area of less than eight square kilometers, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) said.
The agency warned Monday that conditions are rapidly deteriorating, with famine expanding and displacement zones in southern Gaza reaching extreme levels of overcrowding.
UNRWA spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna stated that “around 70,000 people are crammed into every square kilometer” in the southern areas where Israel has ordered civilians to flee.
“There is no space to pitch even a single tent,” he said, adding that tens of thousands of families are now sleeping in the streets without shelter. “Famine has moved with the displaced from Gaza City into central and southern Gaza.”
The humanitarian crisis is compounded by the collapse of food systems, the destruction of medical infrastructure, and the continued denial of aid entry.
UNRWA reiterated its call for an immediate ceasefire and the urgent establishment of protected humanitarian corridors.
The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), a global initiative used to assess famine conditions, officially declared famine in Gaza City on August 22. Its latest report warns that famine is expected to spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health and international agencies, the blockade has prevented the delivery of essential supplies, including baby formula, surgical equipment, and clean water.
Medical teams report that operations are being performed without anesthesia, and infectious diseases are spreading rapidly in overcrowded shelters.
UNRWA and other humanitarian organizations continue to urge the international community to intervene, warning that without immediate action, the death toll from starvation and preventable illness will rise sharply.
Earlier Monday, 13-year-old Ahmad Mohammad Al-Sharif from Gaza City died due to severe malnutrition because of the ongoing Israeli siege on the Strip.
At least 390 Palestinians have died in Gaza due to famine and the lack of medical supplies. Among the victims are 140 children, including newborns and infants.
These deaths are attributed to the collapse of healthcare infrastructure, the blockade on humanitarian aid, the inability to access food, clean water, or essential medications and the ongoing Israeli targeting of hospitals and medical centers.
These figures come from field reports compiled by UNRWA, WHO, and the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which declared famine in Gaza City in August and warned of its spread to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by late September.
Medical teams report performing surgeries without anesthesia, while infectious diseases continue to spread in overcrowded shelters. Humanitarian agencies warn that the death toll is expected to rise sharply as famine conditions expand into central and southern Gaza.
