One in five pregnant women at a central Gaza clinic are malnourished, doctors have warned over the last three weeks as violence continues to exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
At Project HOPE’s primary health clinic in Deir al Balah people have reported eating nothing but white bread with fruit, vegetables and other nutrient-dense foods being extremely sparse or impossible to obtain.
Malnutrition is especially dangerous for women who are pregnant as it leads to poor health outcomes for the mother and the newborn.
The Project Hope team has also reported a rise in anemia cases among pregnant women in Deir al Balah, caused by the lack of protein, iron and other micronutrients, which can increase the risk of a life-threatening postpartum hemorrhage, premature births and low birth weight.
“Every day, we see women and children coming into our clinic suffering from acute malnutrition,” says Dr Maram, Project Hope’s Lead Physician in Deir al Balah, who only sees the problem getting worse as the area continues to be overcrowded with people fleeing Khan Yunis and Rafah.
“The shelves at the market are empty. The only available food is canned but there is no cooking gas available to make a proper dish. For any food you can find, the prices are high, and most people can’t afford to buy anything,” Dr Maram says.
“As infectious diseases spread in crammed areas and food becomes even scarcer, we will see more and more people going hungry – including the health workers who are trying to help. I worry every day that I won’t find anything to eat.”
UN officials say a quarter of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million Palestinians has been pushed to the brink of famine. And only a third of Gaza’s hospitals are even partially functional, UN figures report.
Two children died this week in Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza from malnutrition and dehydration, according to local health authorities.
If violence continues, the hunger rates in Gaza will only increase in the coming weeks, Project Hope warns, noting that aid shipments remain both delayed and inadequate. Critical services run by the World Food Program and UNRWA are currently paused or disrupted due to insecurity or lack of funding.
“What’s happening in Gaza is inhumane,” says Rabih Torbay, the CEO and President of Project HOPE.
“People are starving and stranded. Hunger is cruel and slow, impacting the most vulnerable among a population – pregnant women, the elderly, and children.”
“If a ground invasion occurs in Rafah, where over one million people are already confined to tents and makeshift shelters, the conditions are likely to transition from a struggle for survival to becoming utterly unsustainable for human life. If people do not die from violence, they will die from hunger or disease,” warns Torbay.
“This situation demands urgent and bold action. Without a ceasefire and robust humanitarian access and aid, we will see more and more people facing starvation soon.”