Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: A Severe Setback for Sustainable Development Goals

Catastrophic Failures in Achieving SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

• Reports from Al-Shifa hospital confirm 21 child deaths from malnutrition and starvation over a 72-hour period.
• Hospitals across Gaza, including Al-Aqsa Martyrs and Nasser Hospital, are recording an alarming and increasing number of deaths due to starvation, directly contravening SDG 2 (Zero Hunger).
• The health system is overwhelmed, with new malnutrition cases arriving “every moment,” severely compromising SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
• An estimated 600,000 people, including 60,000 pregnant women, are suffering from malnutrition symptoms, highlighting a critical failure in ensuring maternal and child health as targeted by SDG 3.
• The United Nations Secretary-General has warned that essential lifelines are collapsing, with widespread reports of children and adults exhibiting severe symptoms of malnutrition.

Violations of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice) and Breakdown of SDG 17 (Partnerships)

1. Following the breakdown of a six-week ceasefire, a full blockade was imposed on Gaza on March 2, halting all aid.
2. Aid deliveries resumed in late May but remain vastly insufficient to meet the needs of over two million people, depleting food stocks accumulated during the ceasefire.
3. The UN human rights office attributes the rising death toll from hunger to the interference with and militarization of humanitarian assistance, a direct challenge to the principles of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).
4. The establishment of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), backed by Israel and the Trump administration, has failed to foster the cooperation required by SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), with the UN and major aid organizations refusing to partner due to concerns over its violation of humanitarian principles.

International Condemnation and the Erosion of Humanitarian Principles

• A coalition of 25 nations, including key U.S. and Israeli allies, has issued a joint statement demanding an immediate end to the conflict and the unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid.
• The statement condemned the “drip feeding of aid and the inhumane killing of civilians, including children,” actions that fundamentally undermine SDG 16‘s goal of promoting peaceful and inclusive societies.
• The UN human rights office has recorded 1,054 Palestinians killed while attempting to access food aid since May 26, with a majority of these deaths occurring near GHF distribution sites.
• This violence against civilians seeking sustenance represents a grave violation of international humanitarian law and a profound failure to protect life, a core tenet of the Sustainable Development Goals.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators in the Gaza Malnutrition Crisis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article’s central theme is the severe food crisis in Gaza, directly addressing the goal of ending hunger. It details widespread malnutrition, starvation, and deaths resulting from a lack of food, which is the core focus of SDG 2.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The health consequences of the food crisis are a major focus. The article reports on deaths, particularly of children, due to malnutrition. It also describes overwhelmed hospitals, shortages of medicine, and the physical and psychological suffering of the population, all of which fall under the purview of SDG 3.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article highlights the context of conflict, the blockade on humanitarian aid, and violence against civilians seeking food. It mentions the killing of over 1,000 people trying to access aid, pointing to a breakdown of peace and safety, which is a key concern of SDG 16.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food

   This target is directly relevant as the article describes a complete failure to ensure food access. The text states that a “full blockade” was imposed, and the aid allowed in since has been “vastly insufficient.” The result is that the territory’s “more than two million inhabitants” are experiencing severe shortages, and people are “collapsing in the streets” from a lack of food.

2. Target 2.2: End all forms of malnutrition

   The article explicitly details the prevalence of malnutrition. It reports that “21 children had died… due to malnutrition and starvation,” and new cases are arriving at hospitals “every moment.” It also notes that there are “600,000 people suffering from malnutrition symptoms such as dehydration and anemia, including 60,000 pregnant women.”

3. Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5

   The article provides direct evidence of failures to meet this target. The head of Al-Shifa hospital states that “21 children had died across the Palestinian territory in the past three days.” It also mentions reports of “at least three infants” dying from hunger and malnutrition in a single week, highlighting a crisis in child mortality.

4. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere

   This target is addressed through the reporting of deaths directly related to the conflict and the chaotic aid distribution. The U.N. human rights office is cited as having “recorded 1,054 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food,” which is a direct measure of death rates resulting from violence in the context of the humanitarian crisis.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Indicator 2.2.1: Prevalence of stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age

  While not providing a statistical prevalence rate, the article gives qualitative and quantitative data that serve as a proxy. The mention of “21 children” dying from malnutrition and photos showing “children and infants with severe malnutrition, including some said by hospital workers to have died of the condition” directly points to a high prevalence of wasting.

• Indicator 3.2.1: Under-5 mortality rate & Indicator 3.2.2: Neonatal mortality rate

  The article provides specific numbers that contribute to these indicators. The report of “21 children” and “at least three infants” dying from malnutrition over short periods serves as a direct, albeit incomplete, measure of the child and infant mortality rate in the region.

• Indicator 16.1.1: Number of victims of intentional homicide per 100,000 population

  The article provides a raw number for this indicator in the specific context of accessing aid. The statement that “1,054 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food” is a direct count of victims of violence, which can be used to calculate a death rate related to the conflict and breakdown of order.

• Indicator 2.2.2: Prevalence of malnutrition (e.g., anemia) among pregnant women

  The article explicitly mentions this indicator by stating that among the 600,000 people with malnutrition symptoms, there are “600,000 pregnant women” suffering from conditions like dehydration and anemia.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: cbsnews.com