Gaza's Children Starve as Food Prices Soar and Aid Dwindles Amidst Restrictions

Huda Abu Leila, a 30-year-old mother of five daughters, is finding it increasingly difficult to provide nutritious meals for her family in Gaza. Rising prices and shortages, exacerbated by Israel's restrictions on goods entering the territory earlier this month, have forced her to serve only tea and bread for breakfast. This is a stark reality for Huda, who has endured years of blockade and conflict, often struggling to afford basic necessities for her children, aged 18 months to 10 years. The current situation, marked by a scarcity of commercial goods, escalating food costs, and reduced humanitarian aid, has intensified her struggle to put enough food on the table.

"We were affected immediately. We couldn’t find eggs or milk, and we don’t have the money to stock up on food," Huda stated. Living in a tent in western Gaza City with her daughters, her husband is unable to work due to war injuries, and her own income from baking bread is minimal. Their meals often consist of canned beans with duqqa or za’atar, and on particularly difficult days, bread dipped in tea.

Huda's greatest concern is the impact of this worsening situation on her children's health, especially given her current inability to provide them with adequate nutrition. The halt on commercial shipments into Gaza on October 14 disrupted supplies of essential goods, compounding the difficulties for families already grappling with high prices. This suspension arose from a dispute over a demand for merchants to pay 10,000 shekels ($3,225) per truck. While commercial shipments were announced to gradually resume on October 19, following claims by COGAT that Hamas had withdrawn the payment demand (which Hamas described as a voluntary contribution), the disruption has had a significant impact.

Compounding these issues, humanitarian assistance has also been curtailed. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced on October 19 that funding shortages necessitated a reduction in food assistance in Gaza. The number of beneficiaries dropped from 1.6 million in September to 1.1 million in October, with food rations halved and the number of daily hot meals reduced from 250,000 to 150,000. WFP estimates that approximately 1.4 million people in Gaza, about two-thirds of the population, are facing acute food insecurity at crisis levels or worse.

For Huda, the crisis means many nutritious foods are now unaffordable. A tray of eggs costs around 60 shekels ($19.40), and fresh vegetables are scarce and expensive, with onions priced at 10 shekels ($3.25) per kilogram and tomatoes between 10 and 15 shekels ($3.25-$4.85) per kilogram. The widespread unemployment in Gaza, a consequence of the ongoing conflict and restrictions on rebuilding, further limits families' purchasing power. The lack of adequate food is visibly affecting Huda's children, who reportedly struggle with concentration, dizziness, and exhaustion. Her eldest daughter, Salma, is receiving medical care at al-Rantisi Hospital for poor health, with doctors advising dietary improvements.

Raeda Soboh, 40, faces similar challenges feeding her nine-member family. Displaced from Beit Lahiya and now residing in Gaza City, her family has relied on community kitchens for months. Her children have gone without milk, meat, eggs, and cheese for approximately eight months, and fresh vegetables were last purchased a month ago. She prioritizes buying only what is necessary and affordable. This situation mirrors broader concerns about child nutrition in Gaza. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 2,800 children were admitted for malnutrition treatment in September, including more than 360 with severe acute malnutrition. UNICEF reported in August that 12.2 percent of children under five in accessible areas showed signs of stunting.

Dr. Mohamed B Alraee, a pediatrician and nutrition specialist in Gaza City, warns that prolonged food supply restrictions could lead to a significant increase in child malnutrition. Hospitals continue to see cases of moderate and severe malnutrition, affecting children of all ages, some exhibiting swelling in the legs due to severe protein deficiency from diets dominated by carbohydrates. He notes that recovery from malnutrition can take three to six months, and expects more cases if the situation persists. Raeda observes her children are increasingly weak and exhausted, worrying about the long-term health consequences of their inadequate diet. Without a reliable income and living in an unrecognized camp, Raeda, like many parents, struggles to meet her children's basic needs, hoping for an end to the conflict and an improvement in the humanitarian situation.