Fatshimetry: A cry of distress from child malnutrition in Gaza
Amid the rubble of the war in Gaza, a heartbreaking portrait of human distress emerges: that of Younis, a 9-year-old Palestinian child, weakened by malnutrition and dehydration. Lying on a green mattress at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, Younis rests in his mother’s arms, his frail body betraying the cruelty of hunger and war.
Driven from Rafah by Israeli attacks, Younis’ family is now fighting for survival along the polluted coast of Asda’a, on the verge of famine. The malnutrition pandemic hitting Gaza is exacerbated by the Israeli siege which hampers the delivery of humanitarian aid, leaving children to starve to death for lack of care.
Doctors overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis are forced to refuse children suffering from acute malnutrition, while the health system in tatters is no longer able to respond to the emergency. Recent CPI estimates predict imminent famine for almost the entire population of Gaza, heightening the desperation already palpable in the overcrowded refugee camps.
The Israeli blockade, water shortages and rubble left by bombings have turned Gaza into a death trap for thousands of children. The poignant images of endless queues looking for a little drinking water mingle with those of mothers helpless in the face of the slow agony of their starving children.
The international community, witness to this humanitarian drama, remains silent in the face of the tragedy playing out before our eyes. The emergency is absolute, the lives of thousands of children depend on it. It is more imperative than ever to act to put an end to this spiral of suffering which condemns entire families to starvation and death.
Child malnutrition in Gaza is not only the result of armed conflict, it is the symbol of a blatant injustice that has persisted for decades. It is our duty, as conscious and united human beings, to make our voices heard and demand accountability from those who inflict this unspeakable suffering on a population already scarred by war.
Gaza can no longer wait, each day that passes means a life lost, a hope shattered, a chance of survival less for these innocent children. It is time to say no to indifference, raise the voices of the oppressed and demand justice for the victims of malnutrition in Gaza. The world is watching, it is time to act.