Gaza's hospitals are struggling to cope with an influx of severely malnourished children as starvation grips the besieged territory. Doctors report unprecedented levels of hunger-related illnesses, with skeletal children filling paediatric wards.
'Never Seen Anything Like This'
"We've faced food shortages before, but nothing compares to this," said Dr. Amina Khalid, a paediatrician at Al-Shifa Hospital. "Children arrive with sunken eyes, protruding ribs - their bodies literally wasting away. We're seeing conditions I only read about in textbooks."
Collapsing Healthcare System
The healthcare system, already crippled by years of blockade and conflict, is buckling under the crisis:
- Hospitals report 300% increase in malnutrition cases
- Essential medicines and therapeutic foods are running out
- Power shortages make refrigeration of medicines impossible
- Medical staff work without pay for months
International Response Falling Short
Despite UN warnings of impending famine, aid deliveries remain insufficient. "The world watches as Gaza's children starve," said UNRWA spokesperson Samira Hassan. "We need immediate ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access."
With food prices skyrocketing and unemployment at 80%, families report surviving on one meal a day - often just bread and tea. "I boil weeds to make soup for my children," said mother-of-four Layla Mohammed. "My two-year-old doesn't even cry from hunger anymore - she's too weak."
