The reported deaths of 100 children due to starvation in Gaza [1] since October 2023 is a devastating milestone that shames the world and demands long overdue urgent action, Save the Children said.
Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, said:
“What kind of a world have we built to let at least 100 children be starved to death while the food, water and medical supplies to save them wait just miles away at a border crossing? Children in Gaza are being starved by design by Israeli authorities. This was a wholly predictable and avoidable tragedy that humanitarian organisations have been warning about for months. We knew this would happen; no one can say they didn’t.
“With the Ministry of Health only able to provide data from what’s left of Gaza’s health facilities, we know these figures are just the tip of the iceberg. Who knows how many more young lives have been needlessly destroyed?
“We also know that, for children, conditions like malnutrition can lead to lifelong health issues like stunting, weakened immune systems and organ failure. The effects of malnutrition can span generations, with its impacts on children making learning and development harder, creating a cycle of poverty for the entire population. Even those who survive this could be condemned to a lifetime of suffering unless the Government of Israel urgently allows the full, immediate, unfettered access of life-saving food, clean water, medical supplies and staff.
“While these unbearable figures climb ever higher, we must not lose sight of the fact that these are not just numbers but young lives, full of potential. Elsewhere, these children could have grown up healthily, with a roof over their heads, a family to care for them, an education and opportunities for the future. But in Gaza, nearly two years of war and a chokehold on lifesaving aid have condemned children to mass deaths, suffering, and shattered futures – all of which are entirely preventable. This is a moral scar on our shared humanity and shames the world.”
Kalina Tsang, CEO of Save the Children Hong Kong, made an urgent appeal:
“Learning that 100 children have been officially recorded as having starved to death is a shocking tragedy. The lives of children in Gaza are hanging by a thread. We can no longer remain silent or wait. We call for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of humanitarian aid corridors to allow life-saving supplies to safely enter Gaza.” She continued, “We have several trucks loaded with relief supplies ready to go, including nutritional and care products for mothers and infants, medical supplies, and tents and tarps, waiting to be approved for immediate transport to the border.”
Save the Children has been working in Gaza for decades. The organisation is operating two primary healthcare centres in Gaza, providing essential services to children, mothers, and families, including screening and treatment for malnutrition. They are running mother and baby areas with support for infant and young child feeding and community management of acute malnutrition.
The organisation emphasised that they are ready to scale-up lifesaving aid alongside their partners. Their teams deliver water, run child-friendly spaces and mother and baby areas where pregnant and breastfeeding women can receive support on nutrition and infant feeding and psychosocial care. They also set up temporary learning centres to help children continue their education.
NOTES:
[1] Ministry of Health figures