Gaza (Union)
Today, the people of Gaza welcome Eid al-Adha, coinciding with the continuation of the Israeli war on the Strip and the spread of famine, especially among children.
In light of the ongoing Israeli war, the tragedy of the people of Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip increases due to the lack of food, which indicates the return of famine that may claim the lives of thousands of Palestinians.
About two million residents of the Gaza Strip have been displaced from their homes since the outbreak of war on October 7, leaving everything behind in search of safety.
The displaced live in difficult and tragic conditions, lacking food, shelter, health care, and water.
The people of the northern Gaza Strip and Gaza City depend on wild herbs to feed themselves and their children, as well as some canned food they had saved earlier.
The northern regions lack vegetables, fruits and meat, which increases the difficulties they face in securing their basic food needs.
The lack of food in the Gaza Strip causes drought and a lack of livelihoods for residents, especially children and the elderly, which leads to malnutrition and increased deaths.
During recent months, many deaths, including children, have been recorded in northern Gaza and Gaza City due to food shortages.
Yesterday, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) revealed that more than 50,000 children in the Gaza Strip are in urgent need of treatment for acute malnutrition.
The agency said in a post on its account on the “X” platform, “With continued restrictions on humanitarian access, Gazans continue to face miserable levels of hunger.”
She added that “more than 50,000 children need treatment for acute malnutrition,” stressing that “her teams are working tirelessly to reach families with aid, but the situation is catastrophic.”
In turn, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) revealed that nearly 3,000 children in Gaza suffer from malnutrition and are at risk of death because they are deprived of receiving the necessary treatment as a result of the continued attack on Rafah.
Adele Khader, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “Horrific images from Gaza show children dying in front of their families due to continued shortages of food and nutritional supplies, and the destruction of health care services.”
She added: “With hospitals destroyed, treatment halted, and supplies scarce, we are preparing for more children’s suffering and deaths.”
The United Nations World Food Program also reported that 9 out of 10 children in the Gaza Strip suffer from acute food poverty.
The program explained in a series of publications on the “X” platform that “the hostilities and restrictions imposed on aid have caused the collapse of food and health systems.” In this context, the Palestinian Ministry of Health revealed yesterday that there are about 10,000 injured people in critical condition who need treatment outside the Gaza Strip.
The Ministry of Health said, in a statement, that “the Israeli army committed genocide in the Gaza Strip that left 15,000 children dead,” noting that “the humanitarian reality in northern Gaza is witnessing famine and genocide.” The statement added that “60,000 pregnant women in the Gaza Strip are at risk of miscarriage and suffer from malnutrition,” confirming that the war toll has risen to 37,266 dead and 85,102 injured since October 7th.
On May 6, the Israeli army announced the start of a military operation in Rafah, ignoring international warnings about its repercussions on the lives of the displaced people in the city, and the next day it took control of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.
Doctors Without Borders revealed yesterday that “most of the cases treated by our temporary clinics since the beginning of the Gaza Strip war are burns and trauma.” The international organization stated in a post on its account on the “X” platform, that “most of the cases we have been treating since the beginning of the Gaza Strip war are burns and trauma, at a rate of 55 cases per day.”
Doctors Without Borders quoted one of its employees in Gaza as saying: “During the first five months of the war, we were searching for food from animals and pigeons to survive.”
The employee added that they are currently getting a little canned food and lentils to feed their children.
He also highlighted the current medication crisis in Gaza, saying: “We cannot provide diabetes and blood pressure medications for us and our relatives, and we are trying to replace them using available herbs.”
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