Struggling mothers and infants suffer hunger together in Gaza, lacking both nourishment and formula
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has reported a shocking 41% decline in the number of babies born in Gaza during the first six months of the year [1]. This drastic drop is a stark reflection of the ongoing hunger crisis in the region, which has resulted in a surge of acute malnutrition among children.
One of the most affected is 5-month-old Ramaa, a patient at Nasser Hospital in Gaza. Ramaa has not gained weight since birth, a clear sign of malnutrition [2]. Similar stories are all too common in the hospital's pediatric ward, where Sela Majdi Barbakh, a 11-month-old baby, weighs only 8 pounds, significantly less than the average weight for her age [3].
Doctors, aid groups, and Palestinians attribute this crisis to a strict blockade that limits the entry of food, fuel, baby formula, and medical supplies into Gaza [1][2]. Israeli authorities tightly control and severely restrict the flow of aid, with hundreds of aid trucks remaining stuck at border points without permits to enter [2]. This blockade has resulted in hundreds of deaths attributed to malnutrition or starvation, with UN officials reporting that a third of Gaza's population is going without food for multiple days [1][3].
The control over aid distribution is not only in the hands of Israeli-backed organizations, but also serves as a tool to control the population, according to critics [1][2]. There are allegations that Hamas diverts aid resources to finance its operations, a claim Israeli authorities cite as justification for restrictions, though this has compounded civilian suffering [1][2].
Requests for humanitarian corridors and "tactical pauses" by Israel to allow aid convoys have been made, but access remains extremely limited [1][3]. Moreover, civilians approaching aid deliveries often face dangerous conditions, including being fired upon, which further obstructs food distribution efforts [1][3].
The entry of baby formula and other critical child nutrition supplies is restricted as part of the overall siege and aid control measures, worsening acute malnutrition among children, the most vulnerable group [2]. With the destruction or denial of access to Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure like greenhouses and poultry farms, local food production has also been crippled, exacerbating hunger [2].
The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, stated that there is a deadly surge in malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza [1]. The IDF denies preventing the entry of infant formula, milk, or nutritional supplements for newborns into the Gaza Strip, but aid groups claim it's not enough [1].
In the past 24 hours, hospitals in Gaza recorded nine deaths from malnutrition, bringing the total number of deaths from malnutrition since the start of the war to 122, including 83 children [1]. Sela Majdi Barbakh's mother, Najah Hashem Barbakh, revealed that food in Gaza has become extremely scarce and expensive [3].
Elidalis Burgos, an American critical care nurse volunteering at Nasser Hospital, visited several malnourished babies and children, including one boy injured from a strike [2]. This boy, who was injured in a strike that killed his family, is suffering from severe malnutrition due to the blockade [2].
The boy's story is a grim reminder of the ongoing crisis in Gaza, where the hunger crisis has reached a tipping point, with deaths from malnutrition surging [3]. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the U.N. have been blaming each other for the failure to deliver aid, but the reality is that the acute malnutrition crisis in Gaza results from a strict blockade, control over aid distribution, destruction of local food production infrastructure, and dangerous conditions for civilians trying to access aid [1][2][3].
References:
- AP News
- The Guardian
- Al Jazeera
- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern about the surge in malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza, linking the crisis to the ongoing blockade and control over aid distribution.
- The decline in the number of babies born in Gaza, as reported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), is one of the most concerning reflections of the ongoing hunger crisis, which is fueled by the strict restrictions on the entry of food, baby formula, and medical supplies.
- In addition to the hunger crisis, there are allegations that the control over aid distribution in Gaza is used as a tool to control the population, exacerbating civilian suffering.
- Reports from aid groups and doctors suggest that the blockade has led to hundreds of deaths attributed to malnutrition or starvation, with many children, such as the 11-month-old Sela Majdi Barbakh, suffering from acute malnutrition.
- As a result of the destruction and denial of access to Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure, local food production has been severely impacted, further fueling the hunger crisis, particularly in relation to key areas such as nutrition and health-and-wellness, mental-health, parenting, and fitness-and-exercise.
