Why 14,000 babies in Gaza are at risk of dying in next 48 hours, and what’s blocking the aid?

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached a critical juncture. United Nations humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher has issued a stark warning: if aid is not distributed in war-torn Gaza, up to 14,000 babies could die within the next 48 hours due to severe malnutrition and lack of medical supplies. This dire situation results from an 11-week blockade that has severely restricted the flow of essential goods into the region.

The United Nations on Wednesday said no aid has been distributed yet in Gaza, despite lorries starting to cross the border after the two-month-long blockade.

Israeli officials said 93 trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday, carrying aid including flour, baby food, medical equipment, and pharmaceutical drugs. But the UN said, despite trucks reaching the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, no aid has been distributed so far.

14,000 babies at immediate risk

In an interview with BBC on Tuesday, Fletcher emphasised the urgency of the situation, stating that thousands of aid trucks are ready to deliver life-saving supplies, including baby food and medical necessities. However, bureaucratic hurdles and access restrictions have prevented these supplies from reaching those in need. Fletcher described the limited aid that has entered Gaza as "a drop in the ocean," highlighting the insufficiency of current efforts.

“There are 14,000 babies that will die in the next 48 hours unless we can reach them… We run all sorts of risks trying to get that baby food through to those mothers who cannot feed their children right now because they’re malnourished,” Fletcher told BBC’s Radio 4.

Fletcher’s remarks carry weight, coming in the wake of Israel permitting only five aid trucks into Gaza on Monday — a move he described as “a drop in the ocean” compared to the humanitarian needs of Palestinians. “To be clear, those five trucks are still sitting on the other side of the border; they haven’t yet reached the communities that desperately need them,” Fletcher noted.

‘Sane country doesn’t kill babies for hobby’

Meanwhile, a left-wing Israeli politician, Yari Golan, faced criticism from the country's government and opposition leaders after he said in a radio interview that “a sane country… does not kill babies for a hobby.”

"Israel is on the path to becoming a pariah state among the nations -– like the South Africa of old –- if it does not return to behaving like a sane country," said Golan, chairman of Israel's Democrats party.

"A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies for a hobby, and does not set goals involving the expulsion of populations," he told Israel's Kan public radio.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that over 93% of children in Gaza—approximately 930,000—are at risk of famine. Since early March, at least 57 children have died from malnutrition, underscoring the severity of the crisis.

International response and pressure

The international community has increasingly condemned the blockade and its devastating impact on civilians. The European Union is reviewing its trade agreement with Israel in response to alleged human rights violations. The United Kingdom has suspended trade talks and imposed sanctions on Israeli settlers, citing intolerable suffering in Gaza.

UNRWA health director Akihiro Seita warned that malnutrition rates are rising exponentially and could soon become uncontrollable. He stressed the critical importance of immediate aid to prevent a rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation.