'Our children are dying slowly', says father searching for food in Gaza , World News
Small children, squashed at the front, are in tears. One of them holds up a plastic basin hoping for some ladles of soup. Haw pushes forward in the scrum until he receives his share.
Haw does this every day because he fears his children are starving. He sets out through the ruins of Jabalia in northern Gaza in search of food, waiting in panicked crowds for up to six hours to get barely enough to feed his family.
Some days he gets lucky and can find lentil soup. Other days he returns empty-handed.
"I have a sick daughter. I can't provide her with anything. There is no bread, there is nothing," said Haw, 39.
"I'm here since eight in the morning, just to get one plate for six people while it is not enough for one person."
Israel has blocked the entry of medical, food and fuel supplies into Gaza since the start of March, prompting international experts to warn of looming famine in the besieged enclave that is home to 2.3 million Palestinians.
Some trucks were allowed to enter Gaza on Monday (May 19), after Israel agreed to allow limited humanitarian deliveries to resume following mounting international pressure. But by Tuesday night, the United Nations said no aid had been distributed.
And as well as aid shortages, fighting in Gaza has intensified. Last week the Israeli military announced the start of a major new operation against militant group Hamas. Medics in the territory say Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past eight days.
Israel's stepped-up campaign has strained its relations with much of the world. European countries including France, Germany and Britain have said the situation in Gaza is intolerable, and even the support of its closest ally, the United States, now appears to be wavering.
Israel denies that Gaza is facing a hunger crisis. It has said its blockade is aimed in part at preventing Hamas militants from diverting and seizing aid supplies. Hamas has denied doing so and accuses Israel of using starvation as a military tactic. Daily search for food
Gazans like Haw, living in the epicentre of the war that is now in its 20th month, have no voice in the debate.
Haw's world consists of walking to food kitchens each day, through the destruction wrought by Israeli bombardments in the war that was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023, in which militants killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages back to Gaza, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed more than 53,000 people, according to Palestinian health authorities.
Even before the war — fought intensively around the family home in Jabalia, just north of Gaza City — Haw's family had its struggles. His niece, who lives with them, uses a wheelchair. His daughter has heart disease and bronchial asthma, he says.
Haw climbs the stairs to his one-room apartment, where his children wait, sitting on a mattress. There is no surprise about what he has brought home — soup again.
He puts the soup in small tin bowls and hands them to his four children and his brother's two children.
The children, quiet, eat slowly and carefully.
"Thank God, as you can see, this is breakfast, lunch and dinner, thank God," he said. The day before, he said, his family had had nothing to eat.
"I wish everyone would stand by us. Our children are dying slowly," said Haw.
[[nid:718237]]
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
6 hours ago
- Straits Times
Gaza mother worries time running out for evacuation of malnourished daughter
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox GAZA CITY - Stroking the hair of her emaciated daughter on a hospital bed in Gaza City, Nasma Ayad fears time is running out for a medical evacuation of the malnourished eight-year-old to avoid the fate of her sister, who died last month. "I feel I'm slowly losing my daughter, day after day - everything she's suffering from is multiplying," Ayad said. With few medical supplies and limited food, treating malnourished Palestinian children with complicated conditions in war-shattered Gaza has become increasingly difficult, according to medical staff and humanitarian agencies. Jana received treatment for malnutrition last year at an International Medical Corps clinic in the central town of Deir al-Balah after showing signs of weakness and delayed growth. Though she improved, the frequent interruption of healthcare services and increasing scarcity of food - as Israeli forces who control all access to Gaza have kept up their offensive against Hamas militants - led to a relapse, Ayad said. She weighs just 11 kilograms (24 pounds) and has trouble seeing, speaking or standing up. "She started having an edema, which is fluid retention that makes the limbs and the body swell and store water because of the lack of protein and food," said Suzan Marouf, a therapeutic nutritionist at Patient Friend's Benevolent Society Hospital. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Tech Reporting suspected advanced cyber attacks will provide a defence framework: Shanmugam Business Singapore's US tariff rate stays at 10%, but the Republic is not out of the woods yet World As China-US tariff truce talks drag on, what are prospects for a 'big deal' for Trump? Singapore Thundery showers expected on most days in first half of August Singapore SPH Media awards three journalism scholarships to budding newsroom talent Singapore Synapxe chief executive, MND deputy secretary to become new perm secs on Sept 1 Singapore 5 women face capital charges after they were allegedly found with nearly 27kg of cocaine in S'pore Business Sumo Salad had valid insurance coverage for work injury claims: MOM Jana's sister, Joury, died on July 20. The child had kidney problems exacerbated by malnutrition, her mother said. Gaza's spiralling humanitarian crisis prompted the main world hunger monitoring body on Tuesday to assess that a worst-case scenario of famine is unfolding, and that immediate action is needed to avoid widespread death. Images of emaciated Palestinian children have shocked many around the world. Gazan health authorities have reported more and more people dying from hunger-related causes. The total now stands at 156, among them 90 children, most of whom died in the past few weeks. Ayad had hoped both her girls could be evacuated to safety to receive treatment outside the Gaza Strip. Health officials had added them to a list of patients who were in need of evacuation last September. But the evacuations never transpired. Though it was too late for Joury, her mother still holds out some hope for Jana. "I am calling for the urgent referral of Jana as soon as possible to be treated outside the country," she said. With the international furore over Gaza's ordeal growing, Israel announced steps over the weekend to ease aid access. But the U.N. World Food Programme said on Tuesday it was still not getting the permissions needed to deliver sufficient aid. Israel and the U.S. accuse Hamas of stealing aid - which the Islamist group denies - and the U.N. of failing to prevent this. The United Nations says it has seen no evidence of Hamas diverting much aid. Hamas accuses Israel of causing starvation and using aid as a weapon, which the Israeli government denies. REUTERS
Business Times
2 days ago
- Business Times
Apac biotech sector could draw capital as investors seek diversification amid US-China tensions
[SINGAPORE] Asia-Pacific could be the new frontier for biotechnology investment, a report by consulting firm Bain & Company indicated on Thursday (Jul 31). Markets in the region are gaining ground as credible innovation hubs as global biotech strategies shift amid geopolitical tensions and deep US research funding cuts, according to the report. The report was developed jointly with the Economic Development Board, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, JPMorgan and SG Growth Capital. 'The potential for US-based scientific talent to migrate to more favorable regions could also create an opportunity for Asia-Pacific governments and institutions to strengthen their innovation bases,' the report indicated. Favorable intellectual property regimes, regulatory agility and tax incentives – particularly in Singapore – position Apac as an attractive destination for global biotech investment, it added. Moreover, the region is winning recognition for next-generation modalities, from mRNA and cell and gene therapies to artificial intelligence-enabled drug discovery. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Fabio La Mola, partner at Bain & Company, said: 'We are looking at an exciting era for Apac's biotech sector, with the opportunity for true innovation to emerge from a geography that historically has been primarily a commercialization hub.' China leads, but geopolitical conflict pull capital away China dominates Apac's biotech investment scene, but geopolitical developments could divert capital elsewhere, said Bain & Company. The country accounted for more than 75 per cent of regional biotech venture capital and private equity flows since 2019, and industry giants like Pfizer and AstraZeneca are committing billions to research and development facilities in China, according to the report. With stunning strides over recent years, China's biotech sector is poised to challenge Western dominance on innovation. Notably, the number of Chinese novel drugs entering into development surpassed that of the European Union in 2024. However, the report noted that geopolitical tensions are reshaping biotech strategies, with biotech funding activity in China having slowed over the past few months. Amid fraught US-China relations, US pharmaceutical firms are rethinking their reliance on China and are seeking diversification to hedge against risk, Bain & Company said. 'While China continues to offer significant advantages in cost efficiency and scale, persistent geopolitical tensions and mounting policy uncertainty are diversifying capital flows into emerging hubs like Singapore and South Korea,' the company said. 'China has long been Asia-Pacific's biotech leader in terms of scale, but Singapore is emerging due to its commitment to innovation, political neutrality, intellectual property protection, and regulatory alignment,' it added. Slowing US-led innovation in early-stage R&D funding presents opportunity for Apac As tightening research budgets threaten to slow US-led innovation, particularly in early-stage academic research, Apac markets could step in to fill the gap, the report said. This comes as proposed funding cuts at the US National Institutes of Health are expected to reduce grant availability. 'As a result, Apac markets are increasingly positioned to lead in early-stage research, with big pharma likely to turn more actively to the region for sourcing innovation,' Bain & Company said. The report indicated that public funding plays an increasingly important role in supporting early-stage research, given that capital tends to flow toward later-stage, clinically-validated biotech deals, as higher investor risk aversion has led to a preference for more mature projects with clearer commercialisation pathways. This is seen in how early stage funding in Apac declined at an 11 per cent compound annual growth rate from 2019 to 2024, while late-stage biotech deal volumes grew 1.5 times. In response to the early-stage R&D funding gap, Apac governments are stepping up to seizing on the opportunity. They are launching targeted programmes providing capital and infrastructure that supports early-stage R&D projects to attract private capital investment flows to their markets. For instance, the Korea Drug Development Fund has committed US$1.6 billion to over 1,200 projects by 2030, while Japan's Bioventure Support Program is deploying US$366 million to nurture biotech startups. In Singapore, the government has allocated S$28 billion to support science and technology development, including biomedical R&D under the ongoing Research, Innovation, and Enterprise plan.
AsiaOne
2 days ago
- AsiaOne
In Gaza malnutrition ward, a child's arm is as wide as mother's thumb, World News
KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip — On the pink walls of Nasser hospital's child malnutrition ward, cartoon drawings show children running, smiling, and playing with flowers and balloons. Beneath the pictures, a handful of Gazan mothers watch over their babies who lie still and largely silent, mostly too exhausted by severe hunger to cry. The quiet is common in places treating the most acutely malnourished, doctors told Reuters, a sign of bodies shutting down. "She is always lethargic, lying down, like this… you do not find her responsive," said Zeina Radwan, mother of 10-month-old Maria Suhaib Radwan. She has not been able to find milk or enough food for her baby, and cannot breastfeed as she herself is underfed, surviving on one meal a day. "My children and I cannot live without nutrition." Over the last week, Reuters journalists spent five days in Nasser Medical Complex, one of only four centres left in Gaza able to treat the most dangerously hungry children. While Reuters was there, 53 cases of acutely malnourished children were admitted, according to the head of the ward. Gaza's food stocks have been running out since Israel, at war with Palestinian militant group Hamas since October 2023, cut off all supplies to the territory in March. That blockade was lifted in May but with restrictions that Israel says are needed to prevent aid being diverted to militant groups. In response to a request for comment, COGAT, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, said Israel does not restrict aid trucks entering Gaza, but that international organisations face challenges collecting aid inside Gaza. The Israeli military, it said, regularly facilitates the provision of medical services through aid organisations and the international community, with whom it works to meet the needs of Gaza's hospitals. As food stocks ran out, the situation escalated in June and July, with the World Health Organisation warning of mass starvation and images of emaciated children shocking the world. The Gaza Health Ministry says 154 people, including 89 children, have died of malnutrition, most in recent weeks. A global hunger monitor said on Tuesday that a famine scenario is unfolding. Israel says it has no aim to starve Gaza. This week it announced steps to allow more aid in, including pausing fighting in some locations, air dropping food and offering more secure routes. The United Nations said the scale of what is needed is vast in order to stave off famine and avert a health crisis. "We need milk for babies. We need medical supplies. We need some food, special food for nutritional department," said Dr Ahmed al-Farra, head of the paediatric and maternity department in Nasser Medical Complex. "We need everything for the hospitals." Israeli officials say many of those who died while malnourished in Gaza were suffering from pre-existing illnesses. Famine experts say this is typical in the early stages of a hunger crisis. "Children with underlying conditions are more vulnerable. They get affected earlier," said Marko Kerac, clinical associate professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who helped draw up the WHO's treatment guidelines for severe acute malnutrition. Farra said his hospital was now dealing with malnourished children with no previous health problems, like baby Wateen Abu Amounah, born healthy nearly three months ago and now weighing 100 grams less than she weighed at birth. "During the past three months she did not gain one gram. On the contrary the child's weight decreased," the doctor said. "There is total loss of muscles. It's only skin on top of bones, which is an indication that the child has entered a severe malnutrition phase," said Farra. "Even the face of the child: she has lost fat tissues from her cheeks." The baby's mother, Yasmin Abu Sultan, gestures at the child's limbs, her arms about as wide as her mother's thumb. "Can you see? These are her legs... Look at her arms," she said. Supplies running out, few spaces in hospital The youngest babies in particular need special therapeutic formulas made with clean water, and supplies are running low, Farra and the WHO told Reuters. "All the key supplies for the treatment of severe acute malnutrition, including medical complications, are really running out," said Marina Adrianopoli, WHO nutrition lead for the Gaza response. "It's really a critical situation." The treatment centres are also operating beyond capacity, she said. In the first two weeks of July, more than 5,000 children under five received outpatient treatment for malnutrition, with 18 per cent suffering from the severest form. That was a surge from 6,500 in the whole of June, already the highest of the war and almost certainly an underestimate, said the WHO. Baby Wateen's mother said she tried to get the girl admitted last month, but the centre was full. After 10 days with no milk available and barely a meal a day for the rest of the family, she returned last week because her daughter's condition was deteriorating. Like several of the infants at Nasser, Wateen also has a recurring fever and diarrhoea, illnesses that malnourished children are more vulnerable to and which make their condition more dangerous. "If she stays like this, I'm going to lose her," her mother said. Wateen remains in hospital getting treatment, where her mother encourages her to take tiny sips from a bottle of formula milk. A side-effect of severe malnutrition is, counter-intuitively, loss of appetite, doctors told Reuters. Yasmin herself lives on the one meal a day provided by the hospital. Some of the other babies Reuters met, like 10-month-old Maria, were discharged over the weekend after gaining weight, and given formula milk to take home with them. But others, like five-month-old Zainab Abu Haleeb, did not make it. Vulnerable to infection because of her severely malnourished state, she died on Saturday of sepsis. Her parents carried her tiny body out of the hospital for burial, wrapped in a white shroud. [[nid:720747]]
