Gaza Families Struggle With Severe Food Shortages Amid Blockade

In Gaza, families like the Sobhs face a relentless struggle for survival amid worsening hunger and inadequate humanitarian aid during over 22 months of conflict. Abeer and Fadi Sobh, living in a refugee camp tent with their six children, rely on scarce charity kitchens, sporadic aid deliveries, and sometimes begging to find food, often going hungry when these options fail. The Israeli blockade and restrictions on aid, intended to pressure Hamas, have severely limited food supplies, while aid trucks are frequently intercepted or delayed, exacerbating the crisis. Malnutrition and famine risks are escalating, with UNICEF reporting severe malnutrition spreading among children and dozens of hunger-related child deaths since mid-2025. Aid organizations warn that the worst-case famine scenario is unfolding, though Israeli officials dispute starvation claims, attributing aid delivery failures to UN inefficiency or Hamas control. Daily life for families like the Sobhs involves exhausting tasks such as fetching saltwater for bathing and searching for fuel, highlighting the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.