Hamdan: The food situation in the Gaza Strip has reached catastrophic levels

Abu Khalaf: Malnutrition has effects on children and can extend throughout life

Salah: Malnutrition is very dangerous and its negative effects appear in the long term

Abu Badawiyya: The starvation policy in Gaza is a flagrant violation of international law

War: We must resort to the International Security and Justice Council to confirm reports of genocide crimes

Al-Jarbawi: Starvation is a means of pressure to resolve the war in favor of Israel

Amid the continuing war on the Gaza Strip, there are major warnings of the worsening famine in the Gaza Strip, which has reached catastrophic levels, in terms of food insecurity for nearly a million people who are on the brink of famine.

The warnings come after an assessment of the Integrated Interim Classification of Food Security for Gaza, presenting a bleak picture of the ongoing hunger there, as the assessment found that 96% of the population faces acute food insecurity at crisis level or higher (category three or higher of the classification), and among these are those Nearly half a million people are living in catastrophic conditions (category 5).

Officials, writers, analysts and experts confirmed in separate conversations with Al-Quds.com that malnutrition threatens the lives of thousands of children, which requires the introduction of double and unhindered humanitarian aid.

90% of the Gaza Strip's population faces food insecurity

Enas Hamdan, Director of the Information Office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza, confirmed that the food situation in the Gaza Strip, especially in the northern Strip, has reached catastrophic levels.

Hamdan explained that more than 90% of the population faces food insecurity, and nearly a million people are at risk of famine due to the acute shortage of basic foodstuffs.

Hamdan pointed out that UN experts have warned that the Gaza Strip may be declared a famine zone in mid-July if sufficient and regular amounts of food aid are not brought in.

Hamdan stressed that UNRWA is committed to providing the necessary humanitarian support, but it has been facing a severe scarcity of food and relief aid for months, and this has worsened following the start of the ground operation in Rafah.

The sector needs 500-600 aid trucks daily

Hamdan pointed out that the Kerem Shalom crossing witnessed the entry of about 450 trucks loaded with aid during the past three months, which is an insufficient number to confront the current disaster. Hamdan stressed that the sector needs 500-600 aid trucks daily to save the population and banish the specter of famine.

She said that UNRWA called for the protection of humanitarian workers to ensure their ability to work effectively in all areas of the sector, stressing that, in accordance with international laws, humanitarian workers and United Nations facilities must be protected, and ways to provide relief work should be facilitated.

Hunger threatens the lives of thousands of children

For his part, Kazem Abu Khalaf, the official spokesman for UNICEF, said that the famine reaching this stage of danger in the Gaza Strip threatens the lives of thousands of children in particular, as more than three thousand cases of life-threatening among children have been monitored, in cooperation with Our partners in the sector.

Abu Khalaf explained that malnutrition has its effects, and can extend for the life of children in the future if it is not treated, in an appropriate intervention period, which requires between 6 to 8 weeks, and even if the child survives if the therapeutic intervention is not done in a timely manner, It may affect his life and his body's organic functions.

Abu Khalaf stressed that the entry of some into the fifth stage of malnutrition in Gaza reflects the failure to impose a ceasefire, which led to worsening hunger and the looming specter of famine.

The situation can be prevented from deteriorating if humanitarian aid is introduced

He pointed out that some people have already entered the fifth stage of hunger.

Abu Khalaf stressed that what is happening in the Gaza Strip is human-made, and that the deterioration of the situation can still be prevented if the necessary tools are available, such as introducing humanitarian aid to all parts of the Strip and allowing humanitarian institutions to work without obstacles.

Abu Khalaf explained that the number of trucks entering Gaza decreased significantly after the war, as the current number reached 100 trucks on average per day, compared to 500 trucks before the war, while the devastated sector needs more than 500 trucks.

The famine declaration has its origins and Gaza has not yet reached this stage

Abu Khalaf pointed out that the appeals launched by international institutions aim to alleviate the suffering in Gaza, and that focusing on introducing aid is the only tool currently available to prevent famine.

According to Abu Khalaf, although some groups have entered the fifth stage of malnutrition, the declaration of famine has its origins and specific procedures related to the population size, and Gaza has not yet reached this stage.

However, Abu Khalaf said that the situation is getting worse and we expect more people to fall into acute malnutrition by next September.

Refeeding syndrome

In addition, Dr. Osama Salah, a clinical nutrition and public health specialist and member of the American Dietetic Association, said that malnutrition is a very serious disease whose negative effects appear in the long term.

Salah explained that low weight, emaciation, weakness, and decreased absorptive capacity in the hungry are serious symptoms of malnutrition, and the loss of essential nutrients affects the health of the body and its internal organs, especially the brain, which negatively affects mental and psychological abilities, especially when... children.

Salah stressed that advanced stages of malnutrition, if not treated in a timely manner, could lead to renutrition syndrome, which seriously affects the body and its organs in the future, requiring specialized medical intervention. He stressed the importance of paying attention to children and the elderly, as malnutrition greatly affects these groups.

Nutritional anemia affects the brain and mental and psychological abilities

Salah pointed out that children who suffer from nutritional anemia and are not treated within six months may be exposed to negative effects on their brain and the level of their mental and psychological abilities in the future, which may lead to the spread of psychological diseases.

Salah called for adopting an international and local approach in the long term to address the effects of hunger and avoid its negative effects on the level of civilizational progress, pointing out that the effects of hunger may explain why starvation is considered one of the tools of genocide.

The blockade in Gaza is imposed on civilians

In turn, Raed Abu Badawiya, professor of international law and international relations at the Arab American University, said that the starvation policy practiced by Israel in Gaza is a flagrant violation of international law and international humanitarian law.

Abu Badawiya pointed out that starvation includes denying basic needs to civilians and imposing a siege on them, which is considered a war crime according to international law.

Abu Badawiya explained that the siege must be between armies or fighters, but in the case of Gaza, the siege is imposed on civilians, which makes it illegal and internationally condemned.

Abu Badawiyeh pointed out that international law considers Israel an occupying state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and therefore it is obligated to provide the population with their basic needs.

The occupation's prevention of humanitarian aid is a complex crime

He stressed that what is happening in Gaza in terms of the occupation’s prevention of humanitarian aid is a complex crime, as Israel not only does not provide aid, but also prevents its entry.

Abu Badawiyeh pointed out that Israel must cooperate with international institutions to bring in aid, but targeting relief workers puts them in danger, which prompts institutions to stop their work to protect their crews.

He explained that all of these measures ultimately lead to the crime of genocide by creating conditions that threaten the lives of the population, noting that malnutrition leaves serious physical and psychological effects on generations, especially children.

Deliberate starvation for political goals.

Writer and political analyst Jihad Harb explained that Israel is adopting a starvation policy as a tool to punish the Palestinians, with the aim of holding the popular incubator responsible for the resistance and ensuring a future confrontation between the Palestinians and Hamas after the end of the war.

Harb said that what is required in light of this policy is to put pressure on Israel to bring in aid and hold it responsible through the international movement.

Harb stressed the need to resort to the Security Council and the International Court of Justice to confirm reports related to the genocide crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians, and to demand precautionary measures to prevent the process of starvation, calling for action towards the rest of the international institutions to increase pressure on Israel.

He added: Despite this, Israel does not care about external pressure unless there is a firm stance from the American administration, which has effective pressure tools to prevent Israel from continuing these policies.

Transforming the Strip into an unlivable area

The writer and political analyst, Dr. Ali Al-Jarbawi said that the starvation policy practiced by Israel against the people of Gaza is as dangerous as the bombs dropped on the Strip.

Al-Jarbawi explained that starvation is a tremendous means of putting pressure on the people of Gaza with the aim of ending the war according to the Israeli formula, and it is a form of war through starvation.

Al-Jarbawi explained that Israel seeks through the war to achieve two goals: the first is to weaken the Hamas movement, and the second is to transform the Gaza Strip into an unlivable area. He pointed out that Israel failed to expel the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, so it resorts to other means of pressure.

Al-Jarbawi stressed that the situation will be more dangerous after the end of the war, as the region will witness a high rate of voluntary migration to empty the sector of scientific and academic competencies and other capabilities, stressing that the stage following the end of the war will be more dangerous if the situation is not remedied regionally and internationally.