Child malnutrition is skyrocketing in the war-ravaged Gaza Strip, as exemplified by the harrowing case of nine-year-old Yunis Jumaa from Khan Younis in southern Gaza. According to report by BBC News published on June 21 2024, Yunis, emaciated and barely conscious, lies in a hospital bed, serving as a chilling symbol of the dire circumstances prevailing in the region.
Yunis's skeletal frame, with limbs resembling matchsticks and swollen knee joints, is evident as his chest struggles to rise beneath the tight skin covering his rib cage. His mother, Ghanima Jumaa, expresses her distress, saying, "My son was healthy and normal before. But he has deteriorated to his current state due to malnutrition and dehydration."
Ghanima describes the desperate situation faced by families in Gaza, explaining, "There is a severe scarcity of bottled water. When the children manage to obtain water, it is often contaminated after a long and treacherous journey."
In an adjacent bed at Nasser hospital lies five-year-old Tala Ibrahim Muhammad al-Jalat, barely conscious with her eyes rolled back. Medical professionals identify intestinal infections, accompanied by vomiting and diarrhea, as the primary cause of the severe dehydration. Additionally, the prevalence of hepatitis C or A further compounds the health crisis among children in the region.
The United Nations Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs reveals that Gaza's already inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure has been decimated by 67% due to the ongoing conflict. Salaam Sharab, a water engineer in the Khan Younis municipality, emphasizes the urgent need for international assistance to restore the water and sewage networks. He highlights the staggering loss of 170 to 200 kilometers of pipes, as well as wells and water tanks.
While the Israeli military claims to allow approximately 200 trucks carrying humanitarian aid to enter Gaza daily through the Kerem Shalom crossing, aid agencies argue that the real challenge lies in the inadequate distribution on the ground. The agencies cite ongoing hostilities, particularly in the Rafah area, as a significant obstacle to their operations. They also assert that the amount of aid permitted into Gaza falls far short of meeting the overwhelming needs of the population.
Amidst the growing desperation for food and water, reports of looting have emerged, with both armed individuals and ordinary civilians ransacking aid trucks. The International Criminal Court prosecutor has accused Israel of utilizing starvation as a weapon of war, seeking arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The Israeli government vehemently denies these allegations, placing the blame on Hamas for initiating the conflict and inflicting suffering upon the Palestinian people.
The United Nations has issued a grave warning that over a million Gazans face the highest level of starvation by mid-July. Israeli ministers, however, dismiss the notion of a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Yet, for Ghanima Jumaa, as she cradles her malnourished son through the corridors of Nasser hospital, the reality speaks louder than any words of denial.