Maryam Sheehan fears her three young children might once again be at risk of malnutrition after Israel's ban on 37 international humanitarian organisations from operating in Gaza, claiming they failed to comply with new registration rules.
Amal, Samar and Mohammed, who are between the ages of two and eight, all became severely malnourished last year amid Israeli restrictions on the entry of aid. The UN declared famine in parts of the war-battered enclave in August.
“There were days I had nothing to feed them," Ms Sheehan, 32, told The National. "Their father had no work. Even trying to reach aid zones meant risking death.”
She said the only support came from centres in Deir Al Balah, which hosted projects funded by the Norwegian Refugee Council, one of the aid groups that Israel is to ban in Gaza. “Before this war, I had never heard of them. But they saved my children," Ms Sheehan said. "They gave us supplements and their doctors checked on my kids every week.”
More than two million Palestinians – almost Gaza's entire population − are dependent on humanitarian agencies after more than two years of war in which Israel destroyed hospitals, homes, infrastructure and agriculture.
Organisations such as the UN agency for Palestinian refugees and the World Food Programme supply most of Gaza’s food – from flour to canned goods. Others, such as the UN children's agency, and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), operate water desalination plants, as well as mobile clinics and field hospitals.
Halting these operations could accelerate the spread of famine and disease, increasing preventable deaths in Gaza, aid workers said. It will also bring a halt to emergency operations for thousands of critically ill and wounded patients.
Ms Shaheen said she was shocked to hear the NRC would be forced to stop its work in the enclave. “These are the institutions Gaza needs the most, not ones that should be shut down. Losing them would be a disaster for Gaza’s children.”
An MSF team leader in Gaza told The National that Israel's decision is not an isolated event. “The threat against MSF and other international agencies is not new," she said. "It is part of a continuous chain of pressure spanning years. Israel invents new accusations each time – political affiliation, security allegations and now the claim of failing to renew registration.”
She stressed that the organisation viewed Israel's decision to ban aid groups as a calculated effort to obstruct humanitarian work in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. “This is a clear violation of international humanitarian law. It requires immediate action from states and institutions," she added.
'Baseless claims'
Despite attempts to engage Israeli authorities, MSF has received no assurances that the decision will be reversed, she said. She also rejected Israel's claim that two MSF employees were members of Palestinian militant groups. “We do not employ anyone affiliated with armed groups. Our staff are independent humanitarians. These claims are completely baseless.”
Israel is demanding that NGOs share the personal data of Palestinian employees. Aid groups say that would endanger their workers and breach humanitarian neutrality.
“Handing over lists of staff in exchange for access is a blatant breach of humanitarian independence. There is no explanation for how this sensitive data would be used or protected,” the MSF team leader said. “Israel killed 15 MSF employees during the war, claiming they were combatants, a claim entirely detached from reality.”
According to Gaza's health authorities, more than 71,000 people have been killed and more than 171,000 wounded in the war, which began after Hamas killed 1,200 and took about 240 hostages on October 7, 2023.
Stopping operations will cut off care for tens of thousands who rely on MSF to treat wounds and chronic conditions, carry out operations and offer psychological support.
Among those to benefit from the work of MSF is Yahya Al Hanawi, 28, who was severely injured in an Israeli strike near his home in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza city in May last year. Doctors operated on his right leg and inserted a metal rod.
“They told me healing would be difficult. I stayed in the hospital six days, then began treatment at the MSF clinic near my home. Their care was exceptional, they had supplies no one else had,” Mr Al Hanawi told The National.
He is still receiving treatment and his doctors estimate he needs six more months of medical care. It would be a "catastrophe" if MSF was to be shut down in Gaza, Mr Al Hanawi said.
"For me and thousands of others, MSF is hope," he said. “If MSF leaves now, what will happen to us? No one in Gaza can replace what they do.”
