(GAZA) -- Since the end of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on March 18, the humanitarian situation in Gaza has sharply deteriorated.
The continued closure of all border crossings since March 2 has blocked the entry of humanitarian aid, triggering a severe food crisis and endangering the lives of millions of civilians.
Aid organizations warn that without urgent action, Gaza faces the real possibility of widespread famine, escalating malnutrition and the collapse of essential services.
One of the gravest consequences of the blockade is the complete disruption of the food supply chain. According to residents, bakeries across Gaza have been forced to shut down due to a lack of flour, fuel and operational supplies.
"There is no bread, no bread at all. There is no flour. The crossings are closed. The children are starving," said Ahmed Abu Mustafa, a resident of Khan Younis, in an interview with ABC News. "Even if we had flour … the bakeries don't have fuel to bake or cook food."
The impact on civilians is visible and tragic.
Moath Fayez Abu Ramadan, also from Khan Younis, waited daily at a closed bakery earlier this month hoping to find food for his children.
"I have been here since six in the morning, waiting for the bakery to open so I can feed my children," he told ABC News. "My wife was killed in the war, and my children need someone to take care of them and provide food."
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced on March 31 that its aid supplies to Gaza have been fully depleted. The closure of the crossings has made resupply impossible, with catastrophic results.
"We are in a famine in every sense of the word," said Umm Mohammed, a displaced resident from Rafah. "No matter how much we describe it, it is a famine. What is the fault of the children?" she asked during an interview with ABC News.
In a series of statements on Wednesday, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would continue to bar the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, calling it "one of the main pressure tools that prevents Hamas form using this measure vis a vis the population."
Katz said Israel planned to create an infrastructure for distributing aid using civilian companies later.
Aid organizations raise alarm
International aid organizations are also raising alarm over the humanitarian toll of the blockade.
Rosalia Bollen, a spokesperson for UNICEF, told ABC News, "Since March 18, hundreds of children have been killed, hundreds more have been injured. … Burns, shrapnel lodged in the bodies of children, children who've had their limbs amputated."
She emphasized the urgent need to reestablish a ceasefire and reopen the crossings.
"The most impactful action that governments need to take is to ensure that the ceasefire is reestablished. That is the most important measure to save children's lives," she said.
Beyond food shortages, Gaza's children are suffering psychologically from the relentless violence and deprivation.
"Children are deeply traumatized by what they've witnessed," Bollen explained. "They've been exposed to really unprecedented levels of violence on a daily basis for months in a row. … Today, every child in Gaza needs mental health support."
Violence has returned
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) echoed this concern and highlighted the challenges of operating under such extreme conditions.
"After a period of relative calm, violence has returned to Gaza and the civilian population once again is bearing the brunt," said Hisham Muhanna, an ICRC spokesperson, in an interview with ABC News. "The entry of humanitarian aid – Gaza's main lifeline – has been suspended … the situation is even more dire."
ICRC's operations in Gaza are ongoing but severely constrained, Muhanna said.
"Programs like common kitchens continue feeding people with, sometimes, the only meal they will receive a day," Muhanna said.
However, he warned of a looming catastrophe.
"Flour supplies are dwindling, and many bakeries have had to shut down," he said. "In short order, the impacts will be acute on nutrition and basic health."
With no fuel entering Gaza, water purification systems and hospitals are on the verge of collapse, Muhanna said.
"Hospitals cannot operate without health care staff, who don't live nearby and who are struggling to come to work safely during this period of hostility," Muhanna said.
"With no proper sanitation and limited access to safe drinking water, the danger of communicable disease outbreaks is closer by the day," he added.
'In need of literally everything'
Citizens are also voicing their frustration and calling for urgent international action.
"We want the war on Gaza to stop. May God make the Arab countries stand with us," said Abu Ramadan.
Umm Mohammed added, "We fear hunger. We no longer fear death; we have reached the point where we wish for death. … When your child asks for bread -- his most basic right -- what do you say?"
As aid agencies work tirelessly under impossible conditions, time is running out for Gaza.
"The suffering in Gaza isn't just physical but also psychological," said Bollen. "Children in Gaza are in need of literally everything: food, safe water, health care and emotional support."
The international community faces a critical moment. Without immediate and sustained action to reopen the crossings and restore aid flows, aid agencies are warning that Gaza is at risk of plunging into an irreversible humanitarian catastrophe.
Copyright © 2025, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.