Voices from Gaza: Trapped Between Hunger, Disease, and Bombs
As Israel intensifies ground operations in central Gaza, including a new offensive in Deir al-Balah, civilians and aid workers are caught in an increasingly untenable crisis. Nearly 90% of Gaza is now under evacuation orders or in areas classified as militarized zones, leaving families with nowhere safe to go. More than 1,000 people have been killed while seeking humanitarian aid since May, as food, water, and fuel remain desperately scarce.
Surging violence has triggered yet another wave of mass displacement, with over 737,000 people fleeing temporary shelters in Gaza City alone. Humanitarian assistance is nearly impossible to deliver at the scale needed, as border crossings remain closed and access to the few supplies that do arrive is fraught with danger—resulting in thousands of injuries and deaths near aid distribution sites. Basic services are collapsing under the weight of a critical fuel shortage.
In the face of this ongoing catastrophe, our staff in Gaza continue to serve with courage and humanity. These are their voices.
Areej said: “In previous months, essential food items were already in short supply. The situation was dire even then, and it has only worsened since. Today, the price of food is even higher, and availability is lower. We’ve gone weeks without receiving any flour or meaningful aid. Flour, when it appears, is rationed and disappears within hours. We’re left splitting a single kilo among the family to survive. Just like last month, sugar is completely unavailable, and malnutrition is affecting people of all ages, especially children and the elderly.
Areej added: “It’s been four months since we’ve had gas to cook with. Like many families, we now rely on firewood, despite the health risks; eye infections, respiratory problems, and skin conditions are rampant due to the smoke. But it’s either that or not cooking at all.
“This is the harsh reality we face. The situation is unbearable, and everyone waits anxiously for a ceasefire. Everyone is drained. There’s a shared feeling among people now: either this ends, and aid is allowed, or let it all end for us. The emotional and physical toll has become too much to bear. People are no longer just hungry, they’re hopeless.”
Osama said: “Hospitals and clinics that were already overwhelmed in June are now under even greater pressure. The health system is collapsing under the strain of daily casualties and severe shortages of medicine, staff, and equipment. Increasingly, injuries are not only the result of bombardments, but also from people being hurt while trying to reach aid trucks as they enter Gaza. The humanitarian crisis is rapidly devolving into a complete breakdown of both dignity and survival.”
Saleem said: “The challenges touch every part of daily life. Cooking over an open fire is a struggle. Finding food is a struggle. Getting bread is a struggle. Accessing cash is a struggle. Every single task demands extraordinary effort, and sometimes even that isn’t enough. No matter how much I try to describe reality, words fall short. The suffering here is deeper, the pain greater, and the catastrophe more overwhelming than anything I can fully express.”
Since October 2023, Mercy Corps has reached over 371,000 people with emergency items—food baskets, hygiene, water and shelter kits--and over 33,355 families with emergency cash assistance. Since June 2025, Mercy Corps has provided safe drinking water to over 4,500 displaced people who don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. Mercy Corps is on standby to deliver lifesaving assistance to over 160,000 and to support millions more through humanitarian partners as soon as borders open.
For more information, please contact:
- Milena Murr, Senior Manager, Middle East Media & Communications (based in Beirut) at mmurr@mercycorps.org
- Kyle DeGraw, Director of Media and Communications for Europe (based in the UK) at kdegraw@mercycorps.org
- Our full media team is reachable at allmediarelations@mercycorps.org.