MSF reveals alarming malnutrition rates among children and mothers in Gaza

DOCTORS Without Borders (MSF) teams are witnessing a sharp and unprecedented rise in acute malnutrition among people in Gaza, Palestine.

- OWN CORRESPONDENT

In Al-Mawasi clinic, in southern Gaza, and in the MSF Gaza City clinic, in the north, the humanitarian organisation was seeing the highest number of malnutrition cases ever recorded by their teams in the Gaza Strip.

"A sustained flow of food and medical supplies must be urgently allowed into the Strip," MSF said.

More than 700 pregnant and breastfeeding women, and nearly 500 children with severe and moderate malnutrition, are currently enrolled in outpatient therapeutic feeding centres in both clinics. Patient enrolment in the MSF Gaza City clinic almost quadrupled in under two months, from 293 cases in May, up to 983 cases at the beginning of July. Of this July cohort, 326 are children between six and 23 months old.

"This is the first time we have witnessed such a severe scale of malnutrition cases in Gaza," said MSF deputy medical coordinator in Gaza, Mohammed Abu Mughaisib.

"The starvation of people in Gaza is intentional, it can end tomorrow if the Israeli authorities allow food in at scale."