Gaza has lived a suffocating siege while the risk of starvation is increasing, in light of the extermination war that Israel has launched on the Strip since October 7, 2023.
Rick Bibbercorn, representative of the World Health Organization in the occupied Palestinian territories, said on Tuesday that the rates of malnutrition in Gaza are rising and warned that hunger could permanently affect a “whole generation”.
The latest evaluation issued by the integrated phase of food security – a global hunger monitoring observatory, revealed yesterday that half a million people in Gaza face the risk of death.
Biebercorn stated that he had seen children in medical centers who appear younger than their age, and also visited a hospital in northern Gaza that it was found that 11% of the children who were examined were suffering from acute malnutrition.
“What we see is the growing malnutrition in general. I have seen a five -year -old child and one can say that he is two and a half years old,” he said in a news conference on a video link from Deir Al -Balah.
“Without providing nutrition, clean water and health care, a whole generation will be affected permanently,” he added, and warned against the deterioration of health conditions, dwarfs and poor cognitive growth.
The World Health Organization, because of the siege, has only sufficient stocks to treat 500 children who suffer from acute malnutrition, which is only a small part of the needs.
He added, quoting the statistics of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, that 55 children have already died due to severe malnutrition.
Biberkorn indicated that he saw many children in hospitals with diseases such as gastritis, intestine and pneumonia, which may end their lives due to their decrease in their immunity due to hunger.
He said, “Usually one does not die from hunger, but rather dies from the related diseases,” he said.
The risk of starvation
On Monday, a report published by the United Nations said on its website that the risk of famine in Gaza is increasing due to the ongoing blockade and deliberately preventing humanitarian aid, especially food.
He added, “All 2.1 million Gaza populations face a long -term lack of food, and in particular it suffers about half a million people in a catastrophic situation, as they threaten the dangers of hunger, severe malnutrition, famine, disease, and loss of life. This severe crisis that reveals in front of our eyes directly is one of the worst hunger crises in the world.”
“We do not have to wait for an official announcement of a famine in Gaza in order to know that people are actually starving, suffering from the disease and losing their lives as a result, while food and medicines are minutes away from the border. Today’s report has shown that the situation will continue to deteriorate unless food and basic supplies are available immediately, and this deterioration will cause more deaths and fall in the gap Famine.
It is true that the famine has not yet announced, but people are now starving now. With regard to food deprivation, 3 quarters of Gaza population in the fourth (emergency) and fifth stage (disaster) on the scale of the intensity of food insecurity, which are the worst levels of food insecurity and nutritional deprivation.
The statement said, “People in Gaza are trapped in a very dangerous vicious circle, because malnutrition weakens body immunity, and makes them vulnerable to diseases that in turn are severe on them due to acute malnutrition, which turns common diseases into a possible death sentence, especially for children. For example, how malnutrition causes weak body, which makes it difficult to recover from injuries or combat common infectious diseases such as Diarrhea, pulmonary inflammation and measles. Increasing, especially for children with severe acute malnutrition, and they urgently need treatment to survive. “
“Pregnant and breastfeeding women are also highly at risk of malnutrition, and approximately 17,000 of them are expected to treat acute malnutrition over the next eleven months, if the painful situation does not change. Mothers who suffer from malnutrition are struggling to generate enough nourishing milk, and then their children are at risk, and moreover all the provision of advice services to mothers are vulnerable to severe risks. It should be noted that breast milk is the best way to protect against hunger and disease in relation to infants under the age of six months, especially in the case of clean water scarcity as is the case in Gaza.
“The long -term effects and damages caused by malnutrition may continue for life, taking several forms such as dwarfing, poor cognitive development and illness. Therefore, the entire generation is subject to permanent damage unless enough nutrient food, clean water and the possibility of obtaining health care,” the statement said.
The statement emphasized that “the plan announced by the Israeli authorities recently to deliver food and other basic materials to all parts of Gaza through the proposed distribution sites is not absolute The arrival of humanitarian aid without obstacles, in order to provide aid to people according to their needs and wherever they are. On the other hand, there is a firm system that is a firm and efficient system to coordinate humanitarian action, led by the United Nations and its partners, and it must be allowed to fully work to ensure the delivery of aid in an organized and fair manner.
Daily meals provided 70%
UN spokesman Stephen Dujarric said that the number of daily meals provided to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip decreased this week 70%, compared to last week.
He stressed in statements during a press conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York, today, Tuesday, the importance of the international teams entering Gaza and determining the needs of the Palestinians in the field.
The UN spokesman indicated that the number of daily meals in the Gaza Strip decreased from 840 thousand meals last week to 260 thousand, or a decrease of 70%.
Dujarik stressed that humanitarian aid is not limited to food only.
He pointed to the need to provide water, health, nutrition, education and protection services directly to the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
The UN spokesman warned that fuel began to run out in health and water facilities within the Palestinian sector, which Israel has continued its strict siege since last March.
He went on to say: Health care in Gaza is on the brink of collapse, as hospitals face large numbers of wounded in light of a severe shortage of basic supplies, equipment, blood and medical personnel.
Israel has been continuing a widespread extermination war against the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip, since October 7, 2023, including killing, destruction, starvation and forced displacement, ignoring all international calls and orders to the International Court of Justice to stop it.
The US -backed war left more than 172,000 dead and wounded by the Palestinians, most of them children and women, and more than 11,000 missing.