Gaza: 100 Children Starved To Death: A Needless Tragedy That Should Shame The World
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.
"All available evidence indicates that the Government of Israel is using starvation as a method of warfare - a war crime under international law. Israeli authorities are obliged to provide aid to and protect civilians, and the international community is obliged to ensure that and enforce international law across the board. This dereliction of legal duty is on all of us. This is a moral scar on our shared humanity and shames the world."
About Save the Children
Save the Children has been working in Gaza for decades. We are running two primary healthcare centres in Gaza, providing essential services to children, mothers, and families, including screening and treatment for malnutrition. We are running mother and baby areas with support for infant and young child feeding and community management of acute malnutrition.
We are ready to scale-up lifesaving aid alongside our partners. Our 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. We also set up temporary learning centres to help children continue their education.
We have trucks waiting to move to the border once approved, loaded with lifesaving items ready to enter, including nutrition and care items for mothers and babies and medical supplies, as well as tents and tarpaulins.
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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. "All available evidence indicates that the Government of Israel is using starvation as a method of warfare - a war crime under international law. Israeli authorities are obliged to provide aid to and protect civilians, and the international community is obliged to ensure that and enforce international law across the board. This dereliction of legal duty is on all of us. This is a moral scar on our shared humanity and shames the world." About Save the Children Save the Children has been working in Gaza for decades. We are running two primary healthcare centres in Gaza, providing essential services to children, mothers, and families, including screening and treatment for malnutrition. We are running mother and baby areas with support for infant and young child feeding and community management of acute malnutrition. We are ready to scale-up lifesaving aid alongside our partners. Our 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. We also set up temporary learning centres to help children continue their education. We have trucks waiting to move to the border once approved, loaded with lifesaving items ready to enter, including nutrition and care items for mothers and babies and medical supplies, as well as tents and tarpaulins.
