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Four-month-old Youssef lies in a hospital bed in Gaza city. He weighs less than 1.5kg and his mother, Najiya Al Najjar, worries that every moment could be his last.
“My son is in a very critical condition, and I’m afraid I might lose him at any moment,” Mrs Al Najjar told The National. “He’s been in the hospital for days, and although doctors are monitoring him, there are no resources for proper treatment. The situation is catastrophic.”
Youssef, like thousands of children in Gaza, is suffering from severe malnutrition, caused by acute food shortages following Israel’s closure of border crossings more than two months ago. His mother says the blockade prevents from providing basic nourishment for her son or herself and Youssef's situation has deteriorated since his birth.
On Tuesday, UNRWA spokesman Adnan Abu Hasna said that more than 66,000 children suffer from severe malnutrition, and that hundreds of thousands of Palestinians eat a meal every two or three days.
“Just over a month after I gave birth, the crossings were sealed. There was no food or water for either of us,” she said. “His condition worsens daily. He now suffers deformities due to underdevelopment, and the doctors are powerless.”
During her pregnancy, Mrs Al Najjar could not find essential nutrition. “Like many mothers here, I couldn’t get what I needed for healthy foetal development. War and hunger denied us that.”
She also spoke of the lasting effects of toxic exposure: “The gas, the missiles, these affect us and the unborn children. That’s why babies are now born with complications and deformities.”
director of the Kuwait Specialized Field Hospital
Suhaib Al Hams, director of the Kuwait Specialised Field Hospital, told The National that Gaza’s children are in grave danger.
“Children in Gaza have been suffering for over two months due to the severe shortage of food and medicine caused by the continuing blockade,” Dr Al Hams said.
More than 16,000 children have been killed in Gaza since the onset of the war, he said, including hundreds who died from hunger, malnutrition and insufficient medical treatment. Of these, at least 57 succumbed to malnutrition.
In March, the Unicef reported that more 34,000 children have reportedly been injured in the Israeli war, and nearly one million children repeatedly displaced and deprived of their right to basic services.
“Israel’s closure of the crossings deprives children of their basic nutrition and mothers of necessary medications, worsening the crisis and leading to more cases of foetal deformities,” he added.
A growing concern is the ban on the entry of polio vaccines. “This puts every child at risk and could trigger a new public health disaster.”
More than 60,000 children in Gaza currently suffer from malnutrition, said Dr Al Hams, with dozens arriving at hospitals each day. Without urgent international intervention, he said, hundreds of children are at imminent risk of death.
Foetal abnormalities
“There must be immediate and decisive action from the international community to save lives and address the crisis,” he said.
Mohammed Abu Afesh, director of Medical Relief in Gaza city and the Northern Governorate, pointed to a sharp rise in foetal deformities as another grim consequence of the 19-month war.
“The rate of foetal abnormalities has reached 25 per cent. This is largely due to the use of internationally banned weapons by Israel, along with a complete deprivation of food and medical supplies,” he told The National.
Mr Abu Afesh emphasised that Gaza lacks the laboratory equipment needed to diagnose foetal deformities, compounding the crisis. Currently, more than 150,000 pregnant women are at risk from exposure to toxic gases, widespread malnutrition, and weakened immunity.
He called on international health and human rights organisations to apply urgent pressure on Israel to allow access to medical care for pregnant women, premature infants, and vulnerable patients.
“Foetal deformities are one of the most devastating outcomes of this war. They are direct evidence of war crimes that must be investigated by international bodies,” he said.
“We are losing children daily due to malnutrition. Newborns are entering the world with birth defects caused by war and starvation. This is the most catastrophic phase of the conflict we’ve endured. Every segment of society is suffering, especially pregnant women and children who require specialised care.”
Gaza’s hospitals, he said, have been systematically incapacitated. “Even operating rooms lack the tools, equipment, and medications necessary for basic procedures. There’s a critical shortage of painkillers and emergency treatments.”
Mr Abu Afesh stressed the urgent need to deliver medical supplies without delay to prevent the total collapse of Gaza’s health system.
“The situation in northern Gaza is especially dire. The health system is operating at a bare minimum due to deliberate destruction throughout the war. We are barely able to respond to the overwhelming number of cases.”
He estimated that the number of children suffering from malnutrition could be as high as 65,000, and many could be lost daily if their conditions continue to deteriorate. In addition, 200,000 elderly people with conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure are also at extreme risk.
“Cancer patients, the elderly, the malnourished – these groups urgently need care that simply isn’t available right now,” he said.
Amjad Al Shawa, director of the Palestinian NGOs Network in Gaza, said the overall health situation has reached a breaking point.
“There are countless children in Gaza suffering from severe malnutrition, and the number is growing every day,” Mr Al Shawa told The National. “Hospitals are overwhelmed, warehouses are empty, and we can no longer meet the needs.”
He highlighted the dual crisis of food and water. “We are also facing a massive shortage of clean water and increasing contamination. This is particularly devastating for children, who are struggling just to access food and drink.
“People, including children are forced to stand in line for hours under the burning Sun just to get a small portion of food. That barely covers their needs and doesn’t protect them from the consequences of malnutrition.”
