Gaza's Malnutrition Crisis: British Surgeon Describes Dying Palestinians Due to Food Shortages
Palestinian patients in Gaza's hospitals are dying from wounds due to severe malnutrition, a British doctor reveals.
LONDON - Palestinians treated at one of Gaza's few remaining hospitals are succumbing to their injuries because of extreme malnutrition, as described by a British surgeon working in the besieged territory.
Professor Nick Maynard, a consultant gastrointestinal surgeon and a long-time volunteer with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), has witnessed unprecedented levels of severe malnutrition during his third stint since the current conflict began.
Operating at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, Maynard stated that the condition of patients is alarmingly worse than just a year ago.
According to UNICEF chief Catherine Russell's briefing to the UN Security Council, acute malnutrition among children in Gaza has nearly tripled due to Israel's 11-week blockade on food aid imposed in March.
The surgeon attributes the deaths of many patients to the inability of their bodies to heal properly because they lack adequate nutrition.
'The repairs we carry out just fall apart; these patients get terrible infections, and sadly, they die,' said Maynard.
The malnutrition crisis is especially dire among infants, with four recent neonatal unit deaths attributed to inadequate nutrition.
He recounted being deeply moved by the state of children who are visibly underfed.
UNICEF reported that out of over 113,000 children screened for malnutrition in June, almost 6,000 were found to be acutely malnourished—an 180% increase from February.
Russell emphasized that the situation is a 'catastrophic living condition, including severe food insecurity and malnutrition,' especially affecting Gaza's children.
Maynard, normally based at Oxford University Hospital, has been volunteering in Gaza for more than a decade.
He witnessed daily arrivals of Palestinians injured while attempting to access food through distribution points set up by the Israeli- and US-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, highlighting that many young people are being shot trying to obtain sustenance for their families.
The surgeon calls on the international community to pressure Israel to lift its blockade completely and allow unhindered access of food and aid into Gaza.
He warns that if this crisis continues unresolved, it could lead to a significant increase in fatalities.
The situation in Gaza has sparked urgent calls for humanitarian intervention as the malnutrition crisis deepens, threatening lives across all age groups.
Professor Nick Maynard, a consultant gastrointestinal surgeon and a long-time volunteer with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), has witnessed unprecedented levels of severe malnutrition during his third stint since the current conflict began.
Operating at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, Maynard stated that the condition of patients is alarmingly worse than just a year ago.
According to UNICEF chief Catherine Russell's briefing to the UN Security Council, acute malnutrition among children in Gaza has nearly tripled due to Israel's 11-week blockade on food aid imposed in March.
The surgeon attributes the deaths of many patients to the inability of their bodies to heal properly because they lack adequate nutrition.
'The repairs we carry out just fall apart; these patients get terrible infections, and sadly, they die,' said Maynard.
The malnutrition crisis is especially dire among infants, with four recent neonatal unit deaths attributed to inadequate nutrition.
He recounted being deeply moved by the state of children who are visibly underfed.
UNICEF reported that out of over 113,000 children screened for malnutrition in June, almost 6,000 were found to be acutely malnourished—an 180% increase from February.
Russell emphasized that the situation is a 'catastrophic living condition, including severe food insecurity and malnutrition,' especially affecting Gaza's children.
Maynard, normally based at Oxford University Hospital, has been volunteering in Gaza for more than a decade.
He witnessed daily arrivals of Palestinians injured while attempting to access food through distribution points set up by the Israeli- and US-run Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, highlighting that many young people are being shot trying to obtain sustenance for their families.
The surgeon calls on the international community to pressure Israel to lift its blockade completely and allow unhindered access of food and aid into Gaza.
He warns that if this crisis continues unresolved, it could lead to a significant increase in fatalities.
The situation in Gaza has sparked urgent calls for humanitarian intervention as the malnutrition crisis deepens, threatening lives across all age groups.
