Deir Al-Balah: The head of one of the largest hospitals in north Gaza says his staff has recently registered some 250 children suffering from malnutrition and the numbers are raising daily due to acute food shortages.
Dr. Husam Abu Safyia, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, urged the international community to pressure Israel to allow an increased flow of food and other products into the Gaza Strip, warning that conditions are dire in the coastal territory.
Abu Safyia told The Associated Press on Friday that medical authorities have sent teams from his hospital to centers housing displaced people in north Gaza to assess them for malnutrition.
He said flour is the most available foodstuff in north Gaza, and that people need more proteins and fats to keep healthy.
North Gaza was badly affected by the fighting during the early months of the Israel-Hamas war and continues to suffer food shortages.
Abu Safyia added that illnesses are spreading in Gaza as trash piles grow, because authorities lack the resources to remove garbage and sewage from the streets.
“We are facing a real disaster,” he said adding that more people could die in the coming days if food does not flow into the Gaza Strip.
