Hunger and malnutrition have already claimed an estimated 27 young lives, and for many more it may be too late to reverse the excruciating toll that starvation takes on small, growing bodies.
Nuzha Awad's triplets, Malek, Khader and Moustafa, born two months before the war began when Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October, did not stop crying as she spoke to the Guardian. Awad fled Gaza City when food and formula for her babies began to run out.
In their new home, a makeshift tent in the central town of Deir al-Balah, she is still desperately afraid for their futures. "At this age a child should weigh eight kilos. They weigh two kilos... They don't have thighs yet. At this stage they are supposed to be crawling and preparing to walk. And now you see the state they're in," she said.
"Are these the arms of an eight-month-old child? ... It's death there, death, death. Death in the literal meaning of the word."
This story is from the April 16, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the April 16, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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