While the world is finding relief in the vast variety of fruits that summers have to offer, some parts of the globe are struggling to survive the season in hunger. The situation in Gaza is extremely poor and requires urgent abettance. It is witnessing a man-made famine which is getting tougher to tackle every day.
According to the World Health Organization’s chief, Tedros, around “8,000 children under five years old” in Gaza, Palestine are suffering from malnutrition. He added that 32 deaths have been caused due to malnutrition in the “besieged Palestine”. Around 9 out of 10 children “lack food for growth” in Gaza, UNICEF reported.
Hunger Causing Starvation
The acute shortage of food supplies in Gaza has resulted in malnutrition in masses and deaths due to starvation. Major impacts of this unfed hunger have been reported in the lives of Palestinian children.
Hanan Al-Zaanin died from “severe malnutrition” as the food aid is blocked by the Israeli forces, especially in the warzones. Hanan was eight years old and was supposed to go to Egypt for medical treatment but due to the Rafah border being blocked, she couldn’t be transferred there.
Mahmoud Fattouh was only two months old when he died from starvation at Al Shifa Hospital in Northern Gaza. It was reported that Mahmoud suffered “acute malnutrition”.
Yazan el-Kafarna, a nine-year-old, also died of starvation on 4 March 2024 at Abu Youssef al-Najjar hospital in Rafah. In infancy, Yazan got diagnosed with cerebral palsy and required special attention to the food intake among other things.
Why the Food Scarcity to this Extent?
For over 8 months, the bombing and the killing has been happening in Gaza by Israel in return of the attack of October 7, 2023, as they claim. The Israeli forces are ensuring that no or very little aid reaches the people of Palestine as they are on an eccentric mission of eliminating the militant group of Palestine, Hamas. To accomplish this, the military of the State of Israel is neither letting patients move to other border countries for treatment nor letting in much aid.
The blockade of food and humanitarian aid by Israel amid its assaults on Gaza is not justified under any circumstances of war. The United Nations and the International Law disapprove of this denial to basic aid that is leading to “slow deaths” and is indeed a genocidal war crime.
The Situation of Dehydration, Malnutrition and Possible Famine.
With attacks on even the basic facilities, many bakeries were razed to the ground leaving long queues waiting outside the few remaining. On social media platforms like Instagram, the Gazans have posted their plight. In some stories it was highlighted how a family of 4-5 members fed on limited food. The acquisition of fresh bread after days could be seen on other posts.
The hindrance in the supply of food and water along with other necessities caused civilians to drink any water that was available including unhygienic water. The saga of dehydration and malnutrition continues in the blazing season of summer.
Within the aid that has been permitted in the warzone territory, the paramedics and other departments have been working hard to help the people of Gaza get into a better state. Unfortunately, even this is coming at a very high rate. Around 270 aid workers got killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza.
