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We’ve reached a tipping point in the unfolding famine in Gaza. According to a new alert from the IPC, “mounting evidence shows that widespread starvation, malnutrition, and disease are driving a rise in hunger-related deaths.”
Latest figures show around 80 people have died from starvation since 21 July alone. This is more than half of the 147 who have died from a lack of food since the start of the war.
One in three people in Gaza have not eaten any food for days, and more than 90,000 women and children are severely malnourished and at risk of dying. Newborn babies are most at risk of malnutrition because mothers struggle to produce breast milk from a lack of food.
As a result, it is estimated that more than 100 children a day are being transferred to hospital because of malnutrition-related health problems.
However, hospitals have been running out of nutritional supplements. Shockingly, baby formula has been routinely blocked from entering Gaza, and it has been reported by doctors that supplies of baby formula have been confiscated by the Israeli military.
One mother struggling to keep her newborn baby healthy is 28-year-old Amal*. Amal lives with her husband and four young children in a tent in a displacement site in Gaza city, an area where 1 in 5 children are malnourished.
On 12 July, Amal gave birth at a health centre to a baby boy, Ibrahim. Amal spoke to Christian Aid’s local Irish Aid funded partner in Gaza, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, about the difficulties of giving birth in a war zone as well as during an unfolding famine…
I WAS HUNGRY during labour because I hadn’t eaten for a full day. Even though I suffered from complications, cramps, and bleeding, I didn’t receive any painkillers. I was stitched without anaesthesia — it was very painful.
There was also no bed for me to lie on after giving birth, and they rushed to discharge me immediately after my delivery. My wounds haven’t healed yet because I haven’t had a healthy meal since I gave birth.
My baby was born two weeks before his due date, weighing 6lbs. Thank God he was born in relatively good health, and he’s okay for now.
However, he needs infant formula to feel full because I can’t produce enough milk because I’m not eating enough. He cries most of the night, and I’ve noticed that his weight hasn’t increased.
I haven’t received any postnatal care because the war makes it very difficult to reach healthcare centres. I haven’t visited any doctor for a follow-up since giving birth. I believe that if I did, the doctor would tell me to use formula milk, but where can I get it? My husband searched everywhere for baby formula, but it costs over $100 per can.
Some mothers have resorted to buying expired milk because the prices are so high due to the blockade that has stopped any aid from entering for months. Ibrahim also needs diapers, which I don’t have. I’m using cloth instead.
I eat one meal a day to give my children the chance to have more food. We depend entirely on charitable food kitchens, and sometimes we only eat half a loaf of bread throughout the entire day. I feel deeply upset when my children ask for food and I can’t give anything to them.
I haven’t received any aid from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites because it is extremely dangerous to visit them. I asked my husband not to go because I have no one else to support me. Also, the food packages usually don’t include any baby supplies. The people who manage to get the food aid often sell them at very high prices to others.
People in Gaza need everything — food, water, clothing, medical care and safe shelter. It is too heavy a burden. It feels like I gave birth at the wrong time. I’m emotionally exhausted.
*Amal is writing through Christian Aid. Throughout the war in Gaza, Christian Aid Ireland’s local partner Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has continued its vital work of monitoring and reporting human rights abuses and possible war crimes thanks to funding from Irish Aid. To donate to Christian Aid Ireland’s appeal as they continue to support local partners in Gaza and across the region, visit: https://www.caid.ie/MEAppeal.
*Not her real name.
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