The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has sounded the alarm over a looming famine in Gaza, where essential supplies are nearly exhausted due to a six-week Israeli blockade.

The worsening humanitarian crisis has left even infants going to sleep hungry, according to the agency.

In a statement released Saturday, UNRWA’s Director of Communications, Juliette Touma, urgently called for international action, stating: “This is a man-made crisis that requires urgent action.” She emphasized the need for unimpeded humanitarian aid and commercial deliveries to reach Gaza’s two million residents, who are trapped in the besieged coastal enclave.

UNRWA reports that food stocks are virtually depleted, bakeries have closed due to shortages of fuel and ingredients, and hunger is spreading rapidly. The blockade has halted humanitarian convoys and essential supplies, leaving the population without sufficient access to food, clean water, or medical care. Without immediate and sustained intervention, UNRWA warns, Gaza’s already dire conditions could spiral into a full-scale famine, disproportionately harming children, the elderly, and vulnerable patients.

The warning comes amid growing global outcry over the collective punishment of Gaza’s civilians through siege tactics and military operations, which human rights organizations argue violate international law. (ILKHA)