Gaza medics warn of rising malnutrition as Israeli blockade persists
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The Gaza Strip is facing an imminent famine, as "Israel" ramps up its assault on the strip and tightens a siege that was imposed on March 18 by the Israeli government.
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Palestinian women and girls struggle to reach for food at a distribution center in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip Friday, Dec. 6, 2024 (AP)
Medics and aid workers in Gaza are warning of a fast-spreading famine across the Strip, as “Israel” continues to intensify its assault and tighten its siege on the Palestinian territory.
Aid officials indicated that distributions would be scaled down gradually if circumstances allowed, while the operation of community kitchens, which provide food for about a million people, would become increasingly challenging until the very end, The Guardian reported Sunday.
“At some point, we will just run out and things will get desperate … but even if we had supplies, it would be very difficult to distribute them because the security environment means we can’t operate,” The Guardian cited a UN official based in Gaza.
Six out of 23 bakeries run by the UN World Food Programme have already shut down due to a shortage of cooking gas. Meanwhile, UNRWA, the primary UN agency responsible for Palestinians’ welfare, holds around 60,000 bags of flour on Friday, enough to sustain distributions for only six days.
“It is very clear that people are underweight. The population is very young, and children need nutritious food,” stated senior consultant doctor Khamis Elessi.
The forced displacement has obstructed the delivery of aid, “There is a lot of anxiety about what will happen, especially parents for their children. It is non-stop: evacuation orders, explosions, the hospitals are filled with casualties, we are now seeing food scarcity. It is very unpredictable,” The Guardian cited International Committee of the Red Cross spokesperson Hisham Mhanna as saying.
Unicef warns of child mental health crisis in Gaza
On March 22, UNICEF highlighted the unprecedented mental health crisis affecting Palestinian children in Gaza, calling it unmatched in modern history.
Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, stated that during his latest visit to Gaza, he saw firsthand how "1 million children are living without the very basics they need to survive—yet again," following "Israel’s" decision in early March to block all aid as part of its effort to pressure Hamas into accepting a US-brokered prisoner deal.
Beigbeder condemned the blockade, emphasizing that the restriction of food, water, medicine, and other critical supplies is a violation of "international humanitarian law."
“Civilians’ essential needs must be met, and this requires facilitating the entry of lifesaving assistance whether or not there is a cease-fire in place,” he stated. “Any further delays to the entry of aid risk further slowing or shuttering essential services and could fast-reverse the gains made for children during the cease-fire,” Beigbeder stressed.
