(USNewsMag.com) – After five months of bombardment by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) on the ground and by air in response to the October 7th, 2023, attack by Hamas, the Gaza Strip faces widespread food, clean water, and medical supply shortages, according to doctors and aid organizations, which are especially impacting children.
After the October 7th attack on Israel by Hamas, which killed around 1,200, Israel launched a counteroffensive military operation in the Palestinian territories that has killed around 30,000 in response, an estimated 13,000 of whom were children. Five months into the conflict, resources are drying up and hospitals in Gaza are overrun.
Just one of those hospitals, Kamal Adwan, has treated dozens of children dying of dehydration and malnutrition. According to the Gaza health ministry, a lack of necessary medications is also contributing to the deteriorating conditions of the children who are dying, many of whom had pre-existing medical problems and conditions.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said in a report on Friday, March 15th, that almost one out of three children under the age of two in the northern region of Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition, which is double the amount recorded in January. At least 4.5% of the children in health centers and shelters surveyed by UNICEF were suffering from wasting, which is the most fatal form of malnutrition.
Catherine Russell, executive director of UNICEF, said that “hundreds” or even “thousands more” could perish from hunger if the fighting doesn’t stop and aid agencies aren’t allowed “full access throughout Gaza” to assist them.
Most of the suffering have been displaced from their homes and ended up in tent cities, where people are crammed together in unsanitary conditions, lacking clean water and proper sewage systems. Last month, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that about 90% of children in Gaza under the age of five have been affected by infectious diseases and high rates of diarrhea.
As Israel continues its military operations, the international community’s view of the Jewish state continues to sour. The issue is dividing both of America’s major political parties, especially the Democratic Party, who are split between avid Israel supporters like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and vocal cease-fire supporters like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. President Joe Biden has also been facing increasing backlash from potential voters for his milquetoast approach to the conflict.
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