A desperate struggle for bread has become the only reality for many families in Gaza, as Israeli restrictions on aid continue to tighten. The war in Gaza has left two million people struggling with hunger and malnutrition, and the situation is worsening by the day.
Nour Barda and Heba al-Arqan are among those fighting to feed their children amidst the crisis. Their infant daughter Shadia was born weak and underweight due to lack of milk, while their six-month-old son Jihad struggles to eat due to food scarcity. “Every day, we lose more ways to survive,” says Ms. al-Arqan, as she hopes for just a loaf of bread to stop her children’s crying.
The situation is not unique to this family. Hanaa al-Najjar and her three children are also struggling to find food, with little more than lentils and dried pasta to feed them. Her elder son Mohammed has been hospitalized multiple times due to poor health, while his younger siblings suffer from digestive issues and a bacterial infection on their scalp.
The United Nations says the aid distribution system in Gaza is faltering, with looters and fighting cutting off safe routes for aid trucks. A new Israeli-backed system has descended into chaos, leaving many families without access to basic necessities like flour, bread, and medicine.
As the crisis deepens, the international community is urging action to address the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Gaza. But for families like Ms. Barda’s and Hanaa al-Najjar’s, every day brings a new struggle to survive, with just one thing on their minds: finding enough food to feed their children.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/07/world/middleeast/gaza-hunger-children-malnutrition.html