Gaza is starving. The latest numbers, released last week, are chilling: one in three people in Gaza has not eaten in days. Over 50% of the population is in a catastrophic state. Fifteen people are dying per day due to hunger.
The immediate effects of hunger are well-documented: in the first stage, hunger leads to dry mouth, frequent urination, rapid weight loss, and an irrepressible craving for food. In the second stage, the craving for food becomes less compelling and is replaced by apathy and an overall sense of weakness. Stored fat and sugar are burned, and the immune system is weakened. Fluid begins to accumulate in the cells, starting with the face, feet, and legs as hunger edema sets in. Premature aging occurs in the third stage. The skin becomes pale, dry, and flaky—parchment-like. Brown pigmentation appears, hair falls out, and movements become slower and clumsier. The fourth stage is often fatal: the heartbeat slows, blood pressure and body temperature drop. Throughout the experience, people suffer from fatigue, depression, and apathy (1). Biomolecules from the body that are not immediately essential for survival are broken down and recycled in a process called autophagy (2).
It also goes beyond the immediate. Such levels of stress become imprinted in the DNA.
The information contained in DNA is regulated through mechanisms referred to as epigenetics. To summarize: DNA contains all the information necessary to make a human, from conception to death. It was shaped by four billion years of evolution. Only a fraction of the information is actively used, and this usage is regulated by making non-essential sequences inaccessible through molecular modifications of the DNA strand.
During the last stage of World War II, the Netherlands was struck by a terrible famine, referred to as the Dutch Hunger Winter (1944–1945) or Hongerwinter (3,4). The famine was caused by a German blockade, imposed in retaliation for strikes by the Dutch resistance. As a result, the population experienced severe malnutrition (400–800 calories per day), including pregnant women. This tragic event provided a unique opportunity to study the transgenerational effects of famine (3).
The results showed a direct effect of prenatal nutrition on the offspring’s DNA, causing a predisposition to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and depression. The effects were visible decades after the famine.
Right now, in Gaza, over 20,000 children are facing malnutrition. At least half a million households are experiencing a complete lack of food or other basic needs (5). On a larger scale, this situation closely parallels what Dutch families faced during the Hunger Winter. For many Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the effects of the Israeli blockade will last a lifetime—and will likely affect their offspring as well.
As of July 2025, several scientific groups and experts in epigenetics have highlighted the urgency of providing appropriate aid to Gaza (3,4). This includes immediate nutritional support as well as long-term preventative strategies against the wide range of adverse health effects in the next generation. At present, the only aid being provided in Gaza comes from the US- and Israeli-funded Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Their plan has been described as “grossly inadequate” by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO, aligned with the UN, demands a global humanitarian response based on the principles of humanity, impartiality, independence, and neutrality. Pre-established humanitarian aid systems, led by the UN and its partners, are already in place and must be allowed to function fully to ensure that aid is delivered and the effects of extreme hunger are mitigated (6).
- Ciesielska M, Łazarskiego U, Gajewski P, Bałuk-Ulewiczowa T. Medical Review Auschwitz-Medicine Behind the Barbed Wire [Internet]. 2018. Available from: link
- González-Rodríguez P, Füllgrabe J, Joseph B. The hunger strikes back: an epigenetic memory for autophagy. Vol. 30, Cell Death and Differentiation. Springer Nature; 2023. p. 1404–15.
- Khatib H, Ellsworth E, Badhwar N. Epigenetic Consequences of Famine: Lessons Learned and Future Research Directions, 2025.
- Khoodoruth MAS, Khoodoruth WNC kai. From past famines to present crises: The epigenetic impact of maternal malnutrition on offspring health in Gaza. Asian J Psychiatr. 2024 May 1;95.
- UN news, In Gaza, mounting evidence of famine and widespread starvation 29 July 2025. Available : link
- WHO Media Team, People in Gaza starving, sick and dying as aid blockade continues,12 May 2025. Available : link