Food aid in Gaza remains insufficient: Experts say health support is crucial
Despite an increase in aid shipments, a growing hunger crisis in Gaza is putting malnourished residents at deadly risk, with experts stressing the urgent need for medical intervention alongside food deliveries
While more food aid has recently made it through border checkpoints in Gaza, the ongoing hunger crisis continues to worsen. Relief organizations report that Israeli inspections are slowing down deliveries, creating long waits and leaving many without assistance. In the midst of these delays, health professionals warn that inadequate healthcare support for those receiving food aid is putting lives in jeopardy.
According to the Gaza Health Ministry, fourteen Palestinians have died from malnutrition over the past twenty-four hours, bringing the overall death toll to 147, with children making up 81 of the fatalities. Experts emphasize that those suffering from severe malnutrition often require more than just increased food deliveries to survive, as their bodies can no longer process nutrition normally.
Child health specialist Patrick Kolsteren highlights that, in advanced stages of malnutrition, organ failure can occur and only intensive medical care can offer a chance of survival. “If we don’t intervene in time, their odds of recovery drop dramatically,” Kolsteren said. “Emergency medical response is absolutely essential for those who cannot be saved by food alone.”
