Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) President Fatma Meriç Yılmaz has drawn attention to the deepening hunger crisis in Gaza, describing the situation as a severe violation of international humanitarian law and a war crime.
“We see how physically weakened and exhausted people have become, and it pains us deeply,” Yılmaz said. “This crisis cannot be ignored. As Kızılay president, I emphasize that what is happening in Gaza is a serious violation of humanitarian law and a war crime.”
Amid the ongoing Israeli attacks and blockade, Gaza’s civilians struggle to find safety and access basic necessities, especially food.
Kızılay, one of Türkiye’s leading humanitarian organizations, has provided food aid to Palestinians since the conflict began, continuing to deliver essential supplies despite difficult conditions.
Yılmaz highlighted systematic humanitarian law violations, citing World Food Programme data showing one in three people in Gaza goes days without food, and WHO reports that the health system has collapsed.
“The physical exhaustion of the people is heartbreaking. This is a grave violation of international law and a war crime. We are doing all we can, and everyone in Türkiye feels the pain of those suffering,” she added.
Reporting on worsening conditions, Yılmaz said a Red Cross Committee hospital on Egypt’s Rafah border documents injuries. “The situation is tragic. At one aid point, people seeking food were shot – 250 to 350 killed, including young children and women.”
“Malnutrition weakens the immune system, making people vulnerable. Starvation is becoming the leading cause of death. For children, it already is. Adults are now on the brink of starvation,” she warned.
Yılmaz also described the challenges of aid delivery. “We had to shut down our soup kitchen in Deir al-Balah due to evacuation orders. If not evacuated, those locations are bombed the next day.”
“We’ve tried to increase the number of hot meals we serve, but Deir al-Balah is now out of service. Only our kitchen in northern Gaza’s Rimal district is still operational,” she added.
Yılmaz stressed that not only civilians, but also aid workers, journalists and health care staff are being directly targeted. She described Gaza as a confined space where people live under the constant threat of unannounced airstrikes, and where even humanitarian efforts are under attack.
She also reminded that over 30% of aid reaching Gaza comes from Türkiye. “We don’t separate Türkiye’s aid into Red Crescent, the AFAD or other NGOs,” she said.
“We launched the Türkiye’s Ship of Goodness Solidarity Campaign. Sometimes the AFAD, sometimes Kızılay coordinates the shipments. Children cheer when they receive meat and send us videos. It’s touching to see how happy they are just to eat a small piece.”
Many of these children, she added, have gone months without any protein. “Currently, their only source of protein is canned meat from sacrificed animals. That’s why we emphasize this during Eid al-Adha and our sacrificial campaigns, because canned meat doesn’t require cooking or refrigeration.”
Due to closed borders, more than 450,000 cans of sacrificial meat are waiting to be delivered.
“For the past four and a half months, no aid has been allowed in,” Yılmaz said. “The gates must open immediately. Even a week of access could provide enough supplies to help those children survive for another two or three months. This is an urgent call.”
