'Every day I cry': Pain of malnourished Gazan girl

One family's torment as Gaza goes hungry under Israeli blockade

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At the age of 12, Rahaf Ayyad is malnourished and suffering from severe health problems as starvation overtakes Gaza.

As the strip goes hungry under Israel's aid blockade, a lack of food and protein has worsened Rahaf's kidney problems and vitamin deficiency.

As a result, she feels severe pain and grows weaker every day, preventing her from carrying out basic tasks and limiting her ability to walk.

“I feel a lot of pain in my bones. Every day, I cry from the pain,” she told The National.

For the past 65 days, Israel has blocked the entry of food, water, medicine and aid into the enclave, worsening Gaza's already dire humanitarian crisis.

Rahaf Ayyad looks at a picture of her former healthy self as she suffers from severe malnutrition in starving Gaza. AFP

Her mother, Shuruk Ayyad, said treatment is not available in Gaza. She appealed to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and other Arab nations for urgent help.

“We don't have anything available here – not medicine, not proper nutrition,” she said. “Where should I go? Who do I ask or see?".

Rahaf often cries as she compares her current state with photos of herself looking healthy before the war. Her mother pointed out how she is now heavily malnourished with her bones protruding, cheeks swollen, skin pale, hair thinning and falling, with dark spots appearing on her face and scalp.

Gaza's lack of food has caused prices to surge by more than 500 per cent since October 2023, while severe malnutrition and starvation become more prevalent by the day.

International humanitarian agencies are calling for an urgent end to the blockade and a restoration of humanitarian aid to Gaza. However, Israeli plans to deliver aid in secure zones policed by private contractors have raised further alarm.