Gaza – Yazan Al-Kafarneh. Remember his name. Yazan was a 10-year-old Palestinian. Yazan’s family, like many others, was displaced in Gaza. Yazan was killed by the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces).
Not with their state-of-the-art US-made bombs and bullets, he died of severe dehydration, malnutrition, and the absence of medical care in Northern Gaza. Palestinian health authorities report that 16 children have been killed as a result of malnourishment.
In a video issued by Al-Jazeera, Muhammed Al-Kafarneh, a relative of young Yazan, said that he had deteriorated into a skeletal state during the genocide. Having experienced multiple displacements with his family and facing a scarcity of essential resources such as food, water and medicine, Yazan tragically died due to the severe blockade imposed on Gaza.
“Here, you see death in different forms. Death due to hunger, lack of medicine and the successive crises that we are experiencing in Gaza … The barbaric war and oppressive actions of the Israeli occupation against the children and civilians must be stopped.”
Israel Weaponising Starvation Against Palestinians
Israel is accused of using starvation and deprivation as tactics in their war against Palestinians by consistently impeding humanitarian workers from accessing Gaza. When not blocking entry, they use trucks to lure starving Palestinians into a kill box, where they are shot, killed and injured.
Despite evidence and witness testimonies supporting these claims, Israel has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing. However, the truth about their crimes and brutality is becoming increasingly difficult to conceal.
As Western influence over Israel dwindles due to their non-compliance with international recommendations and instructions regarding genocidal actions, even the United States, Israel’s staunchest ally, is making a U-turn in attempting to provide food and supplies through airdrops. However, this moment of clarity does not absolve the US of complicity in the deaths of over 30 000 Palestinians.
Humanitarian Agencies Warned of Children Dying
Previously, international aid agencies expressed concerns about a potential increase in the number of children dying because of the ongoing genocide and escalating humanitarian crises.
During a visit to the few remaining hospitals in Northern Gaza, the Director General of the World Health Organisation, Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, posted on social media for the first time since October 2023 about the severe conditions faced by the people in Gaza.
“Severe levels of malnutrition, children dying of starvation, serious shortages of fuel, food and medical supplies, hospital buildings destroyed.”
In a statement, UNICEF Regional Director Adel Khodr highlighted the distressing reality of the deaths of Palestinian children, attributing it to the Israeli blockades of essential supplies. These fears of children dying are materialising as malnourishment takes a devastating toll on the innocent in Gaza.
While the reported deaths of just over a dozen children might appear to be “few”, Khodr insists that these fatalities are “man-made” and “entirely preventable.” However, she expects that more children may be in a life-or-death battle elsewhere in the enclave, whether or not they are receiving medical help.
“The child deaths we feared are here and are likely to rapidly increase unless the war ends and obstacles to humanitarian relief are immediately resolved.”
As per Khodr’s statement, the Palestinians’ pressing condition stems from restrictions enforced by Israeli forces, violating the Hague’s directive for unimpeded delivery of aid to the Palestinian population.
She emphasised that International humanitarian aid agencies must be allowed to prevent and mitigate humanitarian crises, avert famine, and safeguard the lives of innocent children. The sole means to achieve this is by permitting unobstructed aid admissions through all Gaza crossings.
“We need reliable multiple entry points that would allow us to bring aid in from all possible crossings, including to northern Gaza; and security assurances and unimpeded passage to distribute aid, at scale, across Gaza, with no denials, delays and access impediments.”
While these reports from international health and humanitarian institutions may seem repetitive, they play a crucial role in maintaining focus on the intensifying humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The rising death toll among children and the growing desperation among civilians to provide for themselves and their families stress the gravity of the situation.
The persistent bombings, the breakdown of essential infrastructure, and the debilitating blockade have pushed millions of people into a dire struggle to fulfil their basic needs, resulting in a humanitarian crisis of unprecedented scale.
As a result, the international outcry has become more pronounced. Humanitarian and global health agencies are united in their call for immediate intervention to avert further catastrophe and bring an end to the ongoing war.
