DaysofPal- Dr. Ahmed al-Farra, the director of the al-Tahrir Hospital at the Nasser Medical Complex in southern Gaza, has issued a dire warning, describing a growing crisis in which children are now “experiencing the most severe stages of malnutrition.” Medical treatment is critically hindered, he noted, due to a shortage of life-saving medications and infant formula.
Supporting Dr. al-Farra’s concerns, the Gaza Ministry of Health released a statement alongside harrowing images, including one of Osama al-Raqab, an emaciated child described as a symbol of “the suffering of children in Gaza due to the lack of proper nutrition and drinking water.”
“The Gaza Strip is experiencing stage five of malnutrition, the most severe stage according to the World Health Organization,” the statement said.
The ministry also warned of devastating consequences for newborns, especially premature babies, stating that “the lack of adequate nutrition and medications for pregnant mothers seriously impacts newborns.”
The ministry further underscored the humanitarian emergency, declaring, “Israel’s continued blockade of food and medicine supplies indicates that children in the Gaza Strip are facing a dangerous and catastrophic situation.”
In a separate development, Gaza’s health infrastructure took another direct hit. Munir al-Borsh, Director General of the Ministry of Health, condemned the recent shelling of the intensive care unit at Al-Durrah Children’s Hospital in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza City. He described the strike as “a new war crime and a continuation of the targeting of health facilities.”
For nearly 45 days, the Israeli military has imposed a strict siege on Gaza, effectively halting the entry of humanitarian aid and essential supplies. This siege continues despite growing international alarm. The United Nations has repeatedly warned of an impending famine.
UN Special Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs and Reconstruction in Gaza, Sigrid Kaag, shared alarming figures, revealing that “more than 60,000 children under the age of five in the Gaza Strip suffer from malnutrition.”
In line with this, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has raised the alarm, claiming that the Israeli blockade is causing Gaza to approach a state of “extremely severe hunger.”
Since October 7, 2023, the scale of destruction and human loss has been staggering. More than 165,000 Palestinians, primarily children and women, have been killed or wounded, with over 11,000 still missing, according to local and international organizations.
The ongoing Israeli genocide and blockade not only prevent the delivery of food and aid but also block blood transfusions and other essential medical support from reaching those in desperate need.
This deepening crisis, marked by the suffering of Gaza’s most vulnerable, its children, continues to draw calls for urgent international intervention and the lifting of restrictions that are fueling what many are calling a humanitarian catastrophe.
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