Israel's complete blockade of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip has been ongoing for almost eleven weeks, and all Gaza residents are at risk of starvation. According to UN-backed IPC, a good fifth of the population is now at catastrophic risk of starvation, the highest risk level.
In recent weeks, images of a severely undernourished infant have been spread, following a report by the British BBC. Her name is Suwar Ashour, she is five months old and weighs only slightly over two kilos. Breastfeeding is not working, and Suwar needs a special kind of substitute, which is becoming increasingly difficult to find.
I am also suffering. I am trying to breastfeed Suwar, but she just cries and refuses. Therefore, I have been forced to use more of the substitute, says her mother, 23-year-old Najwa Aram, to The Guardian.
Najwa Aram and her mother only have one bag of flour and a few cans left, writes the newspaper. Then it's all over. Food prices have skyrocketed, and they cannot afford more, she says.
I am lying awake, worried about seeing my daughter suffer like this. I am constantly worried.
Doctor Ahmed al-Farah, head of the pediatric and maternity wards at Nasser Hospital, says that resources are exhausted and new undernourished children are coming in every day.
We have nothing to give them. They need proteins, but there are none. We are trying to give milk or milk substitute, but we have nothing else, he says to The Guardian.
