I’ll never forget the faces of Adam and Ali, two young boys who died of malnutrition in Yemen and Syria during conflicts not of their making. Their stories haunted me for years. But when I visited UNRWA schools in Gaza in 2022, I saw a different reality – children smiling, healthy, and eager to learn.
Fast-forward to recent weeks, our teams sent alarming photos of emaciated babies in Gaza. Over 50 children died of malnutrition during Israel’s blockade between March and May. One in 10 children screened by UNRWA is malnourished. Babies like Ahlam, seven months old, with damaged immune systems due to trauma and displacement, are struggling to survive.
Gaza faces a dire humanitarian crisis, with therapeutic food and medicine in short supply. Israeli authorities have blocked the entry of aid for over four months, leaving UNRWA unable to assist those in need. The recent deaths of Salam and eight other children in an airstrike highlight the urgent need for action.
We have 6,000 trucks of food, hygiene supplies, and medicine waiting outside Gaza’s borders. Our 1,000 health workers are ready to provide lifesaving services. But how many more Ahlams and Salams must die before the world acts? How much longer must we wait for a ceasefire, so that bombs stop falling on emaciated children?
Source: https://www.972mag.com/gaza-starving-children-aid-unrwa