‘On brink of death’: WHO raises alarm on Gaza children's dire hunger crisis

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a dire warning, saying that a growing number of children in Gaza are teetering on the edge of death due to severe hunger.

Margaret Harris, a representative from the WHO, shared distressing observations from the ground, saying that, "“What doctors and medical staff are telling us is more and more they are seeing the effects of starvation; they’re seeing newborn babies simply dying because they [are] too low birth weight.” 

Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Harris emphasized the urgent need for nutritional intervention to save these young lives.

The war-wracked region is seeing a surge in dangerously underweight pregnant women seeking medical attention, she said.

Harris highlighted the perilous complications arising from malnutrition during pregnancy, a situation she attributes solely to the ravages of war.

"Prior to the conflict, Gaza's health system was robust, and malnutrition was virtually unheard of. The current medical crises are entirely a consequence of human actions," she asserted.

In response to this humanitarian emergency, the WHO is actively setting up emergency malnutrition stabilization centers to aid the most vulnerable in Gaza.

However, the initiative is facing significant challenges due to security concerns and persistent impediments to aid access.

Over 13,000 children killed in Israel’s Gaza war: UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund says more than 13,000 children have been killed in Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.

"We've managed to establish a center in the southern part of Gaza and are planning for another in the north. Yet, without safe passage and access to bring in supplies, our efforts are constrained. A ceasefire is imperative to facilitate aid delivery," Harris explained.

The sense of desperation is palpable, according to Harris, who stressed the necessity of allowing substantial aid into Gaza.

When that happens, the relief supplies “will be absorbed like sand”, she said.

World Bank sounds famine alert

The World Bank issued a stark warning as over half of Gaza's population is facing "the imminent threat of famine."

The institution urgently called for concerted efforts to prevent loss of life.

“With more than half the population of Gaza on the brink of famine—including children and the elderly—the World Bank Group calls for urgent action to save lives,” it said.

“We join the international community in calling for immediate, free, and unimpeded access of medical supplies, food and life-essential services through all available means at speed and scale to the people of Gaza.”

Since the onset of war on October 7, the Israeli regime has enforced a stringent siege on Gaza.

The devastating genocidal campaign has resulted in over 31,800 Palestinian deaths.

With much of northern Gaza reduced to rubble, aid organizations are cautioning that the majority of residents are now grappling with extreme hunger.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday reiterated his appeal to the Israeli authorities “to ensure complete and unfettered access for humanitarian goods throughout Gaza”.

Speaking outside the Security Council in New York, Guterres also urged the international community “to fully support” the UN’s humanitarian efforts.

“Palestinians in Gaza are enduring horrifying levels of hunger and suffering”, the UN chief said.

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