Pictures of starving children in Gaza, including some of whom have already died, continue to appear despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netamyahu’s claims that there’s no hunger in the enclave. UN spokesman Stéphane Dujarric this week warned that starvation and malnutrition in Gaza are at the highest levels since the war began, reported AP. The UN says nearly 12,000 children under the age of 5 were found to have acute malnutrition in July—including more than 2,500 with severe malnutrition, the most dangerous level. The World Health Organization says the numbers are likely an undercount.
The availability of food in Gaza has improved somewhat over the last three weeks, AP says, but is still unaffordable for many.
While better food access might help much of Gaza’s population, “it won’t help the children who are severely malnourished,” said Alex DeWaal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University, who has worked on famine and humanitarian issues for more than 40 years. When a person is severely malnourished, vital micronutrients are depleted and bodily functions deteriorate. Simply feeding the person can cause harm, known as “refeeding syndrome,” potentially leading to seizures, coma, or death. Instead, micronutrients must first be replenished with supplements and therapeutic milk in a hospital.
