The current situation in Gaza: an untenable humanitarian crisis
CARE has worked in Palestine and Israel since 1948 to provide humanitarian relief and promote values of social justice and gender equality.
Over 50,021 Palestinians have been killed, including 28,000 women and girls, since October 2023. 113,000 Palestinians have been injured, including a disproportionate number of women and children. Intensive bombardment has displaced over 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza, most of whom are now forced to live in camps, with little to no access to medical care, water or food.
CARE is appalled by the ongoing horrific violence that has engulfed Gaza, leading to thousands of civilians killed and injured, with a toll that keeps mounting. Civilians always pay the highest price during conflict, with women, children, and the elderly being the most vulnerable. Protecting civilians is paramount.
CARE remains ready to respond to humanitarian needs and is including in response to the specific needs of women and girls.
Starvation in Gaza is imminent. According to The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, almost half a million people in Gaza face starvation and that extreme levels of “human suffering, destitution and harm” are happening now. Thousands of innocent lives, including an inordinate number of children, are in immediate life-threatening danger.
Humanitarian Situation Update
As of May 2025
Gaza
- There is no safe place in Gaza. The Gaza Strip is now facing the worst humanitarian crisis since the escalation of hostilities in October 2023
- Since early March, Israeli authorities have blocked all aid from entering Gaza. As a result, famine and starvation are imminent, as 1.1 million people, half of Gaza, experience catastrophic food insecurity
- 18 months of siege and massive bombardment have destroyed lives and livelihoods, leaving people without food, medicines, and other basic means of survival. Only one in ten people can access safe drinking water
- With around nine out of ten people displaced from their homes at least once, there is no space in shelters. Tens of thousands of people are living in makeshift tents
- Gaza’s healthcare system has been severely impacted, with a total of more than 654 attacks on medical clinics since the crisis began. Presently, less than half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals are functioning on a limited scale, critically low on medical supplies as well as healthcare workers
- Only a lasting ceasefire in conjunction with sustained and scaled up humanitarian access to all of Gaza can reduce the risk of a famine occurring at scale.
West Bank
- A drastic escalation in Israel’s conduct of military operations in the West Bank puts the safety, security, and wellbeing of civilians at risk
- The security situation in the West Bank remains highly volatile, characterised by frequent military operations, escalating settler violence, and ongoing clashes
- Women and girls face heightened risks and harms, particularly at checkpoints and due to settler violence, leading to restrictions on their freedom, education, and economic activity
- Israel has approved the largest land grab in 30 years, annexing 2,000 hectares of Palestinian land, exacerbating tensions, and undermining efforts for a peaceful resolution.
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