Chaos in Gaza as scores meet tragedy in pursuit of assistance dropped from sky and ground forces
The food distribution system in the Gaza Strip is currently in a state of crisis, with severe limitations and inefficiencies leading to life-threatening situations for Palestinians seeking aid.
According to the U.N. and Gaza's Health Ministry, more than 60,900 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's retaliatory military offensive, and the situation is worsening. The Israeli blockade and military offensive have made it difficult to safely deliver aid, contributing to the territory's slide towards famine.
The current status of food distribution in Gaza is severely restricted and ineffective. As of early August 2025, about 259,000 meals per day are being prepared and delivered, a 74% reduction from the over one million meals per day prepared in April. Food aid convoys have resumed via two crossings but have only delivered roughly 12,000 metric tons of food since late July, a fraction of what is needed.
More than 90% of food offloaded from convoys has been looted by armed gangs or seized by hungry crowds along convoy routes, accompanied by frequent violent incidents. Casualties among civilians trying to reach aid convoys or distribution points are extremely high, with over 1,500 fatalities and 10,000 injuries reported between late May and early August.
The food distribution system primarily relies on four sites controlled by the Israeli military, established under the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. This system is widely criticized by aid groups as inefficient, inaccessible, and dangerous. Palestinians often confront deadly violence near these sites, with at least 1,000 killed by Israeli forces since the system began, mostly near aid points.
Reports indicate that crowds seeking food from aid convoys have been shot by Israeli tanks and snipers, including incidents killing dozens at a single time. Such actions drastically undermine safe access to essential food aid.
The blockade and conflict have caused severe food insecurity, with famine-like conditions affecting nearly a quarter of Gaza’s population. Acute malnutrition, especially among children, has surged, reflecting catastrophic deterioration in food access and nutrition.
Humanitarian efforts such as aid airdrops are criticized as inefficient and potentially deadly, with the UN agency for Palestinian refugees stating they will not stop starvation and may even put starving civilians at risk. Airdropped food parcels have often landed in the Mediterranean Sea or in so-called red zones, requiring Palestinians to risk their lives to get basic goods.
Despite these challenges, some aid is delivered. The World Food Programme (WFP) has sent 350 truckloads recently, but this amounts to only about half of requested convoys, far short of the needed volumes. Food distribution faces significant bottlenecks, including severe restrictions on border crossings, delays of up to 46 hours for clearance, and dangerous crowding along limited transport routes.
On Monday, dozens of Palestinians were killed or wounded while heading towards food distribution points and airdropped parcels in the Gaza Strip. Witnesses and health officials claim Israeli forces fired towards the crowds near the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation site. At least 10 people were killed as thousands waited for aid trucks in the Morag corridor, a route carved out by the Israeli military between the southern cities of Khan Yunis and Rafah.
Aid groups claim that Israel's measures to allow more aid in are insufficient, and the crisis continues to escalate. The situation in Gaza is critical, with the lives of thousands at risk due to the inefficiencies and violence plaguing the food distribution system.
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