Former U.S. President Barack Obama has strongly condemned the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling the widespread starvation of civilians a “travesty” and demanding urgent global action to prevent further loss of innocent lives, reported the Hill.
Taking to social media platform X, Obama stated, “A lasting resolution to the crisis in Gaza must involve the return of all hostages and a cessation of Israel’s military operations.” However, he emphasized that the immediate concern is the escalating hunger crisis. “Reports of the hunger crisis in the Palestinian enclave underscore the immediate need for action to prevent the travesty of innocent people dying of preventable starvation.”
Obama stressed the need for unhindered humanitarian aid: “Aid must be permitted to reach people in Gaza. There is no justification for keeping food and water away from civilian families.”
Echoing these concerns, United Nations relief chief Tom Fletcher noted that while Israel has taken some steps to ease restrictions — allowing over 100 truckloads of aid into Gaza — the measures are far from sufficient.
“As the world is witnessing, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is devastating. One in three people in Gaza hasn’t eaten for days. People are being shot just trying to get food to feed their families. Children are wasting away. This is what we face on the ground right now,” Fletcher said in a public statement.
He welcomed Israel’s short-term support for scaling up aid — including easing customs barriers on essential supplies from Egypt and designating secure routes for UN convoys — but warned that much more aid is needed to avert famine and a major health disaster.
“This is progress,” Fletcher acknowledged, “but vast amounts of aid are needed to stave off famine and a catastrophic health crisis.”
The statements by Obama and UN officials add to growing international pressure on Israel to allow immediate and sustained humanitarian relief into Gaza, where over nine months of war have decimated infrastructure and access to basic necessities.
