Throughout the day, a family in Gaza persistently seeks one essential: sustenance
In the war-torn Gaza Strip, Abeer Sobh and her husband Fadi, along with their six young children, live in a tent, struggling to find food and water for their daily needs.
Abeer fetches water from the sea, a grim necessity due to the scarcity of fresh water. Her children, despite their young age, often help with the heavy jerrycans during water collection. The family's options for finding food are limited to charity kitchens, aid trucks, or begging.
Last month, Fadi was shot in the leg during a scramble for aid trucks in northern Gaza. The Sobh children beg for food from neighbours in the afternoon.
To cook, the family forages for fuel on Gaza's bombed-out streets. They have become skilled at recognizing what can be burned. Abeer often feels weak and dizzy while searching for food and water.
In the morning, Abeer often begs for food for her family's breakfast, sometimes receiving lentils from neighbours or passersby. If all options fail, the family often does not eat.
The current situation of food availability and distribution in Gaza is dire, with more than one-third of the population going days without eating. Acute malnutrition among children under five has quadrupled in Gaza City within two months, reaching rates of 16.5%.
Israel enforced a complete blockade on food and other supplies for 21⁄2 months beginning in March 2023. The flow of aid resumed in May, but the amount is a fraction of what aid organizations say is needed.
The breakdown of law and order has made it nearly impossible to safely deliver food, and much of the aid that does get in is hoarded or sold at exorbitant prices. Food experts have warned that the "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza."
Humanitarian access is severely restricted, preventing adequate delivery and distribution of food and aid. Among the few acts of kindness, Youssef Abu Saleh, a regular at the aid truck site, often gives food to Abeer Sobh and her family. Abeer appeals to the sense of charity of those who succeeded in obtaining food from the aid trucks.
Amid mass displacement and the collapse of markets and local production capacity, the food distribution systems are under enormous strain. UN agencies emphasize that time is running out to mount a full-scale humanitarian response to prevent widespread starvation, malnutrition-related deaths, and escalating hunger-related mortality.
References: [1] UN OCHA, Gaza Crisis: Humanitarian Situation Report No. 5 (2023) [2] World Health Organization, Gaza Crisis: Nutrition Situation Report (2023) [3] Food and Agriculture Organization, Gaza Crisis: Food Security Situation Report (2025) [4] Save the Children, Gaza Crisis: Child Malnutrition Crisis Escalates (2025)
In the midst of the challenging food landscape, Abeer Sobh often appeals to the kindness of those who find food from aid trucks amidst the scarcity. She occasionally receives lentils from her neighbors or passersby for her family's breakfast. The Sobh children, lacking options, sometimes beg for food in the afternoon. The family's health and wellness has been affected as Abeer often feels weak and dizzy while searching for food and water. In line with global concern, food experts have warned that a worrisome famine situation is currently taking place in Gaza, emphasizing the urgency for a comprehensive humanitarian response to prevent widespread starvation. This situation is fueled by the breakdown of law and order, restricted humanitarian access, and the collapse of markets and production capacity, actions and events that are not unlike the backdrop of war and conflicts.
