A 6-year-old girl, Najwa Hussein Hajjaj, has lost 42% of her body weight due to severe malnutrition, sparking a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The Israeli blockade, which began 80 days ago, has severely restricted food, fuel, and medicine imports, leaving hundreds of thousands of people struggling to survive.
International aid has started trickling into the territory this week, but it’s insufficient to address Gaza’s enormous needs. Bakeries have reopened, but humanitarian officials say it won’t alleviate the crisis. Residents are forced to rely on charity kitchens, which have become a lifeline for many Palestinians in Gaza.
Fuel shortages have led people to burn wood or trash for cooking and heating. There is no electricity, and clean water is scarce, forcing residents to dig for water and lug it away in plastic containers. Vegetable markets are empty, with locally grown produce costing exorbitant prices. A mother was forced to feed eight children from a few small bowls of food.
The blockade has displaced about 90% of Gaza’s population, with many people being herded into smaller zones. Najwa’s family is living in a tent and has been evacuated to Jordan for medical care due to the severe malnutrition her daughter has contracted.
Humanitarian aid organizations are struggling to keep up with demand, forcing them to close operations or distribute limited supplies. The crisis highlights the dire consequences of the Israeli blockade on Gaza’s civilian population.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/30/world/middleeast/gaza-children-hunger.html