Famine in Gaza ravages stomachs of more than 17,000 children
GAZA, July 30 (YPA) – Director of Al-Shifa Medical Complex in Gaza, Dr. Mohammed Abu Salmiya, revealed in a stern medical warning the worsening humanitarian disaster in the Strip, stressing that hospitals are experiencing their “worst ever,” amid widespread famine and malnutrition, catastrophic shortages of medicine and food, and a lack of milk and nutritional supplements for children.
Abu Salmiya said in press statements that the hospital’s bed capacity has exceeded 250%, amid overcrowding and a lack of even the most basic healthcare requirements. He noted that 154 people have died so far due to hunger and malnutrition, including 89 children, with the death toll expected to rise “every hour.”
He added, “The situation is out of control. Our children are wasting away before our eyes, and deaths are accelerating as the siege intensifies, crossings are closed, and aid is prevented from entering. We have nothing to keep the premature babies alive.”
Dr. Abu Salmiya explained that more than 17,000 children in the Gaza Strip have already entered a state of severe malnutrition, while children’s hospitals are suffering from severe overcrowding and acute shortages of food, medicine, and therapeutic milk.
Gaza’s Children Can’t Stand Up
The director of Al-Shifa Hospital noted that children “cannot tolerate hunger for long periods like adults,” and they are the most vulnerable group and susceptible to disease. He continued, “We receive at least 10 cases daily suffering from fainting and loss of concentration due to malnutrition, including adolescents and young people aged 13 and above.”
Dr. Abu Salmiya pointed out that approximately 90% of the Gaza Strip’s population does not receive daily food, while 12% of cases arriving at hospitals suffer from severe malnutrition.
He emphasized that the difficulties do not end with saving patients from immediate health issues; rather, a new journey of suffering begins due to the absence of proper treatment and nutrition required for recovery.
Hope for life is fading
In a scene that reflects the depth of the tragedy, Dr. Abu Salmiya confirmed that some Gazan families have begun resorting to wild herbs in a desperate attempt to satiate their children’s hunger. He added, “If the crossings are not opened and aid is not allowed in immediately, there will be a mass massacre due to hunger.”
He warned of a comprehensive health collapse with the continued lack of therapeutic food and the Israeli occupation’s restrictions on the entry of glucose solutions, high-energy nutritional supplements, and essential proteins. He emphasized that the situation in the Gaza Strip cannot tolerate any delay in humanitarian intervention.
Medical Evacuation and Immediate Rescue
The director of the health complex called for urgent medical evacuations for critical cases, especially those suffering from brain injuries and spinal fractures or those requiring complex surgeries and technologies unavailable in Gaza.
He also called for the provision of medicines, nutritional supplements, therapeutic milk for children, intravenous solutions, and food for patients and the injured, stressing that the continued denial of their entry constitutes a “full-fledged war crime.”
UNRWA: Malnutrition Doubles Among Children in Gaza
In the same context, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) recently announced that malnutrition among children under the age of five doubled between March and June due to the stifling Israeli blockade that has been ongoing for more than 150 days.
UNRWA indicated that the Gaza Strip is in dire need of 600 aid trucks daily, including food, medical supplies, and fuel, in addition to 250,000 cartons of milk per month to save the lives of infants.
Towards a Mass Catastrophe
Concluding his remarks, Abu Salmiya emphasized that the only solution to end the catastrophe is to immediately break the siege and open the crossings unconditionally, while holding the occupation fully responsible for the systematic starvation policy for which innocent people, especially children, are paying the price.
He said, “We don’t have time… With every passing hour, new lives are lost, and remaining silent about this famine is complicity in the slow mass killing.”
YPA