Aid weighing 25 tonnes is air-dropped into the Gaza Strip, coinciding with the Israeli Defense Forces declaring a temporary halt in combat operations.
Hunger Crisis in Gaza: Aid Delivery Challenges and International Response
The ongoing hunger crisis in Gaza has sparked international concern, with the United Nations (UN) estimating that up to half a million people could face starvation and destitution by September 2025 [3]. The situation has gravely deteriorated in recent days, and hospitals are overwhelmed as large segments of the population go without food for days [3].
Air drops, initially implemented by Israel in July 2025, have proven largely ineffective and problematic in addressing the severe hunger crisis [1]. Philippe Lazzarini, head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, stated that air drops "will not reverse the deepening starvation" as they are "expensive, inefficient, and can even kill starving civilians" [2]. Reports from communities in Gaza indicated injuries, damage to homes, and exclusion of the most vulnerable groups such as women, children, elderly, sick, and disabled people [1].
Alternative methods for delivering humanitarian aid have been proposed. Humanitarian corridors and pauses, although welcomed by humanitarian groups, have been criticized for being limited and controlled, with ongoing restrictions affecting access and scale of aid distribution [1][2]. Coordinated land and sea aid delivery remains critical but has faced challenges due to military restrictions, ongoing conflict, and incidents around aid distribution points [2]. International cooperation and air drops by other states, such as those conducted by Jordan and the UAE, have faced skepticism about their ability to meet the scale of hunger and their safety and efficiency [4].
Israel has announced humanitarian corridors allowing some aid deliveries by truck into Gaza, but these are limited and tightly controlled [1][2]. The Jordanian Armed Forces and the United Arab Emirates dropped 25 tonnes of humanitarian aid over Gaza on July 27, 2025 [5]. In response to mounting pressure, Israel declared a "tactical pause" in military operations in some parts of Gaza, allowing for the UN and aid agencies to open secure land routes to tackle the hunger crisis [6].
The focus of international agencies remains on securing full, principled humanitarian access across Gaza to effectively address the deepening hunger crisis [1][3]. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer backed the idea of air drops and vowed to work with Jordan to restart them [7]. However, the UN continues to operate as effectively as possible under Israeli restrictions [2].
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains precarious, with thousands of tons of aid sitting at the Gazan border, hoping that a good portion will get by [8]. The Israeli military has begun air-dropping food into Gaza and coordinated its decisions with the UN and international organisations to increase the scale of humanitarian aid entering the Gaza Strip [9].
However, incidents such as Israeli fire killing hundreds of Palestinians near distribution points [10] and Israeli troops boarding a boat carrying activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition [11] have raised concerns about the safety and efficiency of these aid operations. The UN and humanitarian organisations continue to call for full, safe, and sustained humanitarian access to effectively address the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza.
- In the midst of the escalating hunger crisis in Gaza, discussions around the role of science and health-and-wellness, including mental health, in long-term relief efforts have gained traction.
- The ongoing war-and-conflicts in Gaza have vividly demonstrated the importance of politics and general news in shaping international responses and bringing attention to pressing issues like the hunger crisis.
- The incident of Israeli troops boarding a boat carrying activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition highlights the need for crime-and-justice organizations to monitor incidents around aid distribution points and ensure the safety and efficiency of humanitarian operations.
