Majdi Fathi and Monika Čvorak, The Guardian, 15 Apr 2024

According to the World Food Programme, malnutrition among children in Gaza is spreading at a record pace. Hunger has claimed at least 27 young lives, and thousands more are at risk.

Nuzha Awad told the Guardian her triplets, who were born two months before the war, are severely underweight. Awad fled Gaza City once food and formula milk ran out.

Almost half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million is under 18, and the effects of starvation may follow those who survive for the rest of their lives. Lack of nutrition can lead to heath problems such as poor eyesight later in life. 

Gaza’s healthcare system has collapsed and a lack of food and water has made it nearly impossible for medical staff to treat those suffering from malnutrition. The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has promised the US there will be a surge in aid, but this has yet to materialise.