The humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels, with health care workers now succumbing to hunger alongside their patients, according to the humanitarian group Doctors Without Borders.
"It's catastrophic, and the famine conditions have been in the works for many, many months," Avril Benoît, executive director of Doctors Without Borders USA, told ABC News. "People are starving, even our own aid workers in hospitals are fainting, are feeling weak. They're not sure when they will see their next meal."
The dire situation affecting medical staff further compromises their ability to care for patients, creating a compounding crisis in healthcare delivery, says Benoît. Medical workers are eating just once every two days while trying to maintain critical care services, according according to Benoît.
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The organization's recent survey revealed that one in four patients who were children, pregnant women or lactating mothers were found to be malnourished.
This severe malnutrition is particularly concerning for patients recovering from injuries, Benoît explained, as "they need nutrition to be able to recover their bodies, need the calories and the micronutrients to be able to fight off infections."
As of Monday, at least 147 people have died of hunger since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health. Of the total deaths due to hunger, at least 88 have been children, the ministry said.
On Tuesday, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification global initiative, which measures food insecurity, issued an alert that the "worst-case scenario of famine" is unfolding in Gaza.
While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly denied reports of widespread starvation, Benoît told ABC News she strongly disputes this claim.
"He's not credible," she stated, describing what she calls "a campaign of starvation" that extends beyond food shortages. The crisis includes limited access to clean drinking water, insufficient fuel for hospital operations, and restricted medical supplies.
The Israeli government has denied that it is limiting the amount of aid entering Gaza and has claimed Hamas steals aid meant for civilians. Hamas has denied these claims.
A USAID analysis appeared to undercut some of the assertions from the Trump administration and Israeli officials about the extent to which Hamas had stolen humanitarian aid. A presentation reviewed by ABC News, examining more than 150 reported incidents involving the theft or loss of U.S.-funded humanitarian aid in the war-torn Gaza Strip says it failed to find any evidence that Hamas -- the militant rulers of the Palestinian enclave -- engaged in widespread diversion of assistance.
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So far, Palestinians and NGOs have said there is not enough food to ease the hunger crisis, and the organization is calling for a sustained ceasefire to enable effective aid distribution. According to Benoît, this would allow for "therapeutic foods, fuel to run the desalination plants" and other essential supplies to reach those in need.
"Responsibility for food distribution to the population in Gaza lies with the UN and international aid organizations," the IDF said in a statement.
Despite recent initiatives, including airdrops of humanitarian aid, Benoît argued these efforts are inadequate.
"Airdrops are an incredibly inefficient and costly way to deliver food when you've got trucks and trucks and trucks a few miles across the border that are just waiting to get in," she said.
Organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, have also criticized the airdrops as being "notoriously ineffective and dangerous."
For those looking to help, Benoît directed people to visit the Doctors Without Borders website for information about their ongoing medical operations in the region.
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