The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that more than four out of five children “I didn’t eat anything for an entire day at least once every three days.” We are about to conduct a food insecurity survey.
kia snapshot
“These are children under the age of five who have not been able to eat all day,” said WHO spokeswoman Dr. Margaret Harris. “So we ask, ‘Are the supplies coming in?’ No, the children are starving.”
Additional worrying data from the Food Insecurity Snapshot survey found that almost all young people surveyed in Gaza now eat only two different food groups a day, compared to the WHO recommendation of at least five.
More than 93,400 children under the age of five have been screened for malnutrition in the Gaza Strip since mid-January, according to an update this week from the UN relief coordination office OCHA. It was found that 7,280 people were suffering from acute malnutrition, including 5,604 people with moderate acute malnutrition and 1,676 people with severe acute malnutrition.
preventable fear
Reflecting these concerns, OCHA highlighted the risk of catastrophic malnutrition and famine among the most vulnerable people in Gaza.
“I will say They are clearly not getting the amounts they desperately need to prevent famine., to prevent all kinds of horrors we see. OCHA spokesman Jens Laerke said very little work was being done at the moment.
When asked about obstacles to aid access, he reiterated that the Israeli authorities’ obligations under international humanitarian law to facilitate the delivery of aid “do not end at the borders.” If you drive away just a few meters across the border and then let humanitarians drive through an active combat zone, they won’t be able to pick it up. So to answer your question, no, the money that is being distributed right now is not reaching the people.”
As reports continued Friday of Israel’s deadly bombardment across Gaza, humanitarians continued to stress that land crossings for aid convoys remained open. “It’s the only way to get (assistance) at scale and speed… We need more of these land crossings, they need to be open and safe to use so we can pick up relief supplies when they’re returned,” an OCHA spokesperson said. .
floating dock retreat
Asked about a U.S. military-built floating dock anchored off the Gaza coastline that was reportedly partially damaged in international waters, Mr. Laerke commented: “Any means of support is welcome. So if reality doesn’t work, of course that’s bad news. It is simply not realistic to be the main pipeline of support. It could be an addition, and we continue to emphasize that.”
As part of ongoing efforts to prevent life-threatening hunger in Gaza, WHO reports that it continues to provide stabilization services to children suffering from the most life-threatening forms of malnutrition, together with partners and local health authorities. .
It said 68 children had been treated so far, but the nutrition stabilization center at Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza was not operational due to the recent escalation of hostilities.
Since May 1, the UN World Food Program (WFP) and partners reported providing approximately 60,000 children under five and 22,820 pregnant and breastfeeding women with a 15-day supply of nutritional supplements to help prevent malnutrition. .
