UN spokeswoman warns Gaza famine already deadly

Gaza's famine is already claiming lives, and aid delays and clearance barriers must be urgently resolved, warned Olga Trefko, spokeswoman of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UCHA) in Gaza.

In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Trefko said that the worst is yet to come unless urgent aid reaches people soon.

"Once this confirmation happens, in many ways it's already too late. And so that means that, of course, we've had people who have died from famine, from starvation, from malnutrition, and this is a very dangerous situation now. Unless it is addressed and the situation is reversed quickly, it will continue deteriorating and much faster now, and it will spread. And to be honest with you, I really am terrified to think how bad and how much worse it can get unless something is done very, very urgently," she said.

"What needs to happen is more volume of supplies need to be entering on a daily basis to ensure that it's enough for everybody's needs to be addressed here. And the second thing that needs to happen is the impediments that we face collecting these supplies need to be removed. These impediments include delays when we go and collect supplies from the crossings, because most of the time we spend many, many hours just waiting for the authorization to move, for clearances, for checks, for various things that end up taking 12 hours, 16 hours, 20 hours for missions to be completed," said Trefko.

More than half a million people in Gaza are facing famine conditions marked by starvation and preventable deaths, according to the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) released on August 22.

The report points out that famine in Gaza City is now spreading southward to Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis. By the end of September, over 640,000 people are projected to face catastrophic food insecurity, with an additional 1.14 million at emergency levels and nearly 400,000 in crisis conditions.

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO) jointly conducted the assessment.

The report confirmed that thresholds for extreme food deprivation, acute malnutrition and hunger-related deaths have been breached, marking the first officially declared famine in the Middle East since the IPC was established.

The analysis showed that acute child malnutrition has reached record levels, with more than 12,000 children identified in July alone - a sixfold increase since January. By mid-2026, some 43,400 children and 55,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women are expected to face life-threatening malnutrition.

UN spokeswoman warns Gaza famine already deadly

UN spokeswoman warns Gaza famine already deadly

A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.

Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.

In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.

"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.

Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.

In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.

"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.

By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.

After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.

"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.

Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.

As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.

Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media