Since Aid Blockade began on March 2, 57 children have reportedly died of the effects of malnutrition, according to the Ministry of Health.
If the situation continues, almost 71,000 children under five are expected to be acutely malnourished over the next 11 months.
Briefing of journalists in Geneva, representative of the occupied Palestinian territory Dr. Rik Peeperkorn said that Israel’s complete auxiliary embargo has only left who supplies to treat 500 children with acute malnutrition – “a fraction of the urgent need”
“People are trapped in this cycle, where a lack of diversified food, malnutrition and illness burns each other,” he warned.
Dr. Peeperkorn’s comments follow the publication on Monday about a new analysis of UN-supported food safety alarm scale known as IPC, which shows that one in five people in the Gaza-500,000 is facing hunger, while the entire 2.1 million people in the strip are exposed to prolonged food shortages. There is a member of IPC.
An escalating hunger crisis
“This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises that unfolds in real time,” Dr. Peeperkorn.
The UN Health Agency’s representative talked about his recent visit to Kamal Adwan Hospital in North Gaza, where more than 300 children are shown every day at a WHO-supported Nutrition Center. During the visit, the hospital reported more than 11 percent of cases with global acute malnutrition.
He described the children affected and said, “I have seen them [in the] Departments … A child of five years old and I thought he is two and a half ”.
There are 16 outpatients and three treatment centers for malnutrition centers in the enclave with life -saving supplies, but stops from Israel and shrinking humanitarian access threatens its ability to maintain these operations.
Dr. Peepercorn insisted on the long -term damage due to malnutrition, which “can last a lifetime” with influences, including frightened growth, reduced cognitive development and health.
“Without enough nutritious food, clean water, access to health care, an entire generation will be affected permanently,” he warned.
The WHO official emphasized that the agency “constantly” raised with Israeli authorities the need to get supplies to the strip. About 31 helping trucks are quiet in Al-Arish in Egypt just a few dozen miles away from the Rafah border transition with Gaza and several supplies are located in the West Bank, ready to move “any day when allowed”.
‘Healthcare is not a target’
Dr. Peeperkorn said the combustion unit of Nasser Medical Complex in the southern city of Khan Younis was reportedly affected by an Israeli air striker on Tuesday, killing two and wounded 12. The attack has resulted in the loss of 18 hospital beds in the surgical unit killing two and wounded 12. 12 and injured 12 years.
Media reported that a Palestinian journalist was killed in the attack during the treatment of injuries inflicted in a previous air strike.
“Healthcare is not a goal,” concluded Dr. Peeperkorn. He repeated calls for the protection of health facilities, an immediate end to the aid block, the release of all hostages contained by Palestinian armed groups and for a ceasefire “leading to lasting peace”.
