A British volunteer surgeon has warned of a catastrophic malnutrition crisis in Gaza, describing the “deliberate starvation” of children as a result of ongoing Israeli restrictions on aid. Professor Nick Maynard, working at Nasser hospital in southern Gaza with Medical Aid for Palestinians, said he had never witnessed such horror in his three visits since December 2023.
In a firsthand account, Maynard reported that infants are dying from lack of food, with one seven-month-old baby so emaciated he initially mistook her for a newborn. The surgeon said four babies had died from starvation in recent weeks at the hospital, and that there was virtually no baby formula available. An attempt by an international colleague to bring in formula was blocked by Israeli authorities.
Maynard described the systematic destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system and the weaponisation of food supplies. He said more than 400 aid distribution sites had been reduced to just four “militarised zones” in the south, where starving families risk being shot. The surgeon reported operating on boys aged 12 to 15 who were shot while trying to get food, and on women sheltering in tents near distribution points.
Healthcare workers themselves are severely malnourished, with some colleagues losing up to 30kg. One theatre nurse was killed in his tent along with his three children. Maynard called the situation “barbaric and entirely preventable”, urging a permanent ceasefire, free flow of aid, and lifting of the blockade.
