In Gaza City’s Shijaiyah neighborhood, the loss of civilian life is profound. Mayar Al-Arja, a little girl in immediate need of medical care, represents the overall perilous humanitarian catastrophe surrounding the area. Mayar still lives in Gaza, and she hasn’t smiled since. Her mother, Asmaa Faif Al-Arja, has witnessed this tragic transformation. The current brutal war between Israel and Hamas has exacerbated the already terrible situation in Gaza. As an inevitable consequence, communities are experiencing acute supply chain crises for food and medical care.
Mayar has been admitted to the hospital several times as a result of her poor health. Her mom says she didn’t walk, play, smile or talk anymore. This new development serves as a stark reminder of just how badly the persistent conflict has affected her health. Asmaa Faif Al-Arja is concerned about her daughter’s health. She is on a long road to recovery, fighting to receive enough care in an area consumed by the substance use crisis.
“This the third time I have had to bring her to the hospital,” Asmaa cried. Concern about the fate of this proposal was evident in her tone. Each time I go, I leave hoping that today she is doing better, only to find myself coming back again. “Mayar is still getting care at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza. As doctors evaluate her condition, hunger and malnutrition continue to affect millions of children just like her all over the world.
A Growing Hunger Crisis
The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is dire, with thousands of families going hungry and the health system on the brink of collapse. With widespread food shortages, up to half of all children in Yemen are suffering from acute malnutrition with medical experts such as Dr. Al-Farra raising the alarm.
Hassan is a delightful, friendly two-and-a-half-year-old. Dr. Al-Farra said that overall, he is in good shape. “He entered with a very deep state of malnutrition—his weight before was 6 kilos, almost half of the weight that it should be for his age. These kinds of cases are on the rise as families can’t afford to pay for even basic needs.
Dr. Al-Farra, shown above, was transparent about the need for engaged patients regarding the type of care young patients such as Hassan require. Plans are underway to ship them out of Gaza to be diagnosed and treated. The new restrictions on humanitarian aid add to their burdens and suffering. Families are left out in the cold with no food or medical support while these gigantic hurdles persist.
Now the local market has become a black market, as Dr. Al-Farra pointed out. This economic crisis, compounded with inflated prices, has brought other essential items out of reach for families. The cost of milk has increased almost 10-fold.
Limited Aid and Political Challenges
Though a humanitarian catastrophe continues to grow, aid projects encounter marked political obstacles. While the GHF model has been widely criticized by other humanitarian agencies, especially during the most recent war on Gaza, Israel and the United States are often accused of subverting international humanitarian law by circumventing known and proven ways of delivering food to starving people in Gaza.
The minister of media for the Gaza government’s media office issued a direct rebuttal. They stressed that it was the Palestinian families and clans who protected the humanitarian convoys in northern Gaza, with no assistance from the PA or Palestinian factions. This very assertion further highlights the grassroots and communal responses to widespread hunger in the face of continued political turmoil.
Some officials insist that these assertions are patently false. According to the media office, “These dollar-a-dozen fabrications expose the occupation’s continued efforts to create discord, and to facilitate false narratives to justify their blocking of aid and closing of crossings.” This is nothing short of a crime against humanity against over 2.4 million starving Palestinians trapped in the Gaza Strip.
David Mencer, a federal official responsible for distributing federal aid, described it another way. We’re incubating the new Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Already, millions of these culturally appropriate meals are being delivered straight to the doorsteps of Palestinian families. We are removing it from Hamas’s control.
The Impact on Families
As families like Mayar Al-Arja’s are forced to cope with the fallout of these terrible effects, the emotional impact is deep. Asmaa Faif Al-Arja wants the world to understand what their reality is in Gaza. The threat of being unable to provide adequate nutrition or children’s medical care tortures parents who only want to keep their children safe.
“She keeps on losing weight and she can’t ever get it back,” Asmaa cried. The feelings of helplessness are palpable as she watches her daughter’s health decline amid a backdrop of conflict and deprivation.
