More than 31,000 Palestinians have been killed, among whom are at least 12,300 children since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October of last year, according to reports from the United Nations Turkiye.
Bombs are not the only factor responsible for the death of many. Due to cutoff of food supplies, many Palestinians are now dying of starvation, malnutrition and dehydration. At least 20 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration in the north’s Kamal Adwan and Shifa hospitals alone, most of whom are children according to reports from The Associated Press.
Malnutrition results when the body does not receive essential nutrients that are necessary to function properly. Starvation, on the other hand, results when the body does not receive enough calories to sustain the essential functions of the body. If left untreated, both can ultimately lead to severe illness, organ failure and ultimately death.
One of the most obvious ramifications of decreased caloric and nutrient intake in children is stunted growth. In the starvation state, the body prioritizes survival over growth, leading starving and malnourished children to be low in body weight and shorter in height.
Starvation and malnutrition also weaken the immune system, making children much more susceptible to infections such as pneumonia, infections of the gut and malaria to name a few. Malnourished kids do not get an adequate amount of vitamins in their body, which are essential in combating infections throughout the body. As an example, vitamin C stimulates the production of white blood cells, which are essential for fighting off infections in the body. Vitamin C is just one of many vitamins that boost one’s immune function.
Starving and malnourished children also experience profound effects on their heart and cardiovascular system. Ultimately, starvation causes the body to break down muscle in order to survive, which includes the heart muscle. With time, the heart weakens and cannot pump blood efficiently to the body.
In addition, malnourished children often have an imbalance of nutrients and electrolytes that are critical for optimum heart function. As an example, potassium is an essential electrolyte for cardiac cells. Without adequate potassium, both children and adults are predisposed to abnormal heart rhythms, known as arrythmias which can be fatal in some cases.
Starvation in childhood can also lead to adverse heart complications even later in life. For example, early life exposure to the Chinese famine was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization for heart failure in adulthood, according to a study published in Frontiers in Public Health. The study looked at over 36,000 participants and compared the risk of developing heart failure in those born before and during the Chinese Famine (1959-1962) with those born after the famine.
Beyond just physical ailments, starvation can seriously affect a child’s cognitive and intellectual growth. It is well documented that starvation deprives the brain of nutrients it needs to function properly, which can lead to decreased attention, memory loss, suboptimal problem solving, irritability, depression, mood swings and anxiety. Children suffering from starvation can thus perform suboptimal in school, which can affect their long-term career ambitions and economic opportunity in the future. Furthermore, the long-term ramifications of malnutrition can result in a multitude of mental health disorders such as anxiety and depression, many of which are linked to substance abuse, suicide and shortened life spans.
The health ramifications of starvation are crippling the children in Gaza, at no fault of their own. These children are innocent and have nothing to do with the political conflicts between Israel and Hamas. How many more children need to die of malnutrition before the world speaks uniformly in solidarity for an urgent cease-fire and much needed humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza?
Both the Jewish and Islamic traditions share the spiritual teaching that saving one life is the equivalent of saving all of humanity. It is time for the world to come together to save as many children as possible.
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