Starving in Gaza: Hidden tragedy of Eid al-Adha

As the world celebrates Eid al-Adha, juxtaposition of festivity and famine highlights a tragic reality confronting Gaza, demanding urgent attention and action

 Muslim Network TV Desk

GAZA, Palestine – As more than a billion Muslims worldwide celebrate Eid al-Adha, the Feast of Sacrifice, the Gaza Strip presents a starkly contrasting reality.

In this besieged region, nearly two million Palestinians face starvation, a hidden tragedy that underscores the severe humanitarian crisis afflicting Gaza. Heart-wrenching images and stories from Gaza reveal rampant malnutrition, with mothers struggling to feed their children, casting a grim shadow over the festive spirit that prevails elsewhere.

The director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza has confirmed that over 200 Palestinian children are currently at risk of dying due to malnutrition.

Noor Saleem, a 32-year-old mother, epitomizes the daily struggles of many Gazan mothers. She tells U.K-based news website Middle East Eye that she finds solace in singing a traditional lullaby to her baby, hoping to lull him to sleep despite his hunger.

“Sleep, my love, sleep, and I will spread ostrich feathers for you and bring you Tulumba (a fried dough dessert),” she sings, though the words now feel like a cruel irony.

“I sang it and cried my heart out,” Noor shared, her voice filled with anguish.

The tight Israeli blockade, which has severely restricted the flow of essential food and medical supplies into Gaza for over eight months, has made it impossible for Noor to provide even the simplest of foods for her child and makes it more difficult for her to even think of Eid festivity.

The siege has been particularly harsh on northern Gaza, an area Israel attempted to empty of its over one million residents at the onset of the war in October.

Despite relentless bombardments and the targeting of hospitals, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have refused to leave, fearing permanent displacement.

According to independent UN investigators, the Israeli military has used starvation as a weapon of war, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

This peaked in March, with dozens of children dying of malnutrition and residents being forced to eat grass. International pressure slightly improved the situation, but the crisis has returned with a vengeance.

Noor’s baby survives on feta cheese and halva, but these are insufficient to provide necessary nutrition. “My child is growing and needs a more varied diet. He needs chicken, meat, and eggs,” she said, her voice tinged with frustration and sorrow.

Rajaa Jendiya, a 29-year-old mother from northern Gaza, shares a similar story to the Middle East Eye.

Her eight-month-old baby looks like a two-month-old due to severe malnutrition. Her other daughter, only two years old, recently collapsed from exhaustion.

“Her legs stopped supporting her, and it seemed like she was suffering from rickets,” Rajaa explained. The doctor confirmed it was due to malnutrition.

Dr. Hossam Abo Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan hospital, warned that more than 200,000 children in northern Gaza are showing symptoms of malnutrition. “Famine is looming, threatening a humanitarian disaster in Gaza,” he told Al-Arabi TV.

Essential items are scarce, and when available, they are sold at exorbitant prices. Rajaa’s husband, who used to provide for the family, was killed by Israeli forces in March while trying to fetch aid.

“My husband used to secure us food. Now, I have to keep thinking all the time about what I have to feed my children. Sometimes I don’t eat anything to save food for the children,” Rajaa said.

Mustafa Hijazi, a 10-year-old boy, recently died from malnutrition in Deir al-Balah’s al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. He is one of at least 32 children who have succumbed to malnutrition during the ongoing conflict.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, head of the World Health Organization, highlighted the severity of the situation, stating that a significant proportion of Gaza’s population is facing “catastrophic hunger and famine-like conditions.”

The Gaza-based Palestinian government media office accused Israel of misleading the world by claiming that dozens of aid trucks are entering the strip. The reality is starkly different. The few trucks that do enter northern Gaza, around 30 daily, are often not fully loaded and carry mostly flour, which is delivered to UN-run bakeries.

In pre-war conditions, the Gaza Strip needed at least 500 fully loaded trucks of aid and commercial goods daily. With the Rafah crossing with Egypt seized and closed by the Israeli military in early May, and more aid distribution centers destroyed, the fear is that this hunger crisis could be worse than the last.

“I burn for the children and can’t stop thinking about them,” Noor Saleem says, considering herself among the fortunate few who still have some food stored. The memories of the previous famine haunt her, with pharmacists telling her about children who died from severe malnutrition, their mothers’ milk dried up due to poor nutrition, sadness, and fear.

Market prices have soared in North Gaza, with green peppers costing nearly $90 per kilogram and onions at $70 per kilogram.

“There are no food items available in the northern Gaza Strip other than flour,” Dr. Abo Safiya stated, sending a distress call to all international institutions to take the threat of famine seriously.

A bleak Eid al-Adha

As the world celebrates Eid al-Adha, the people of Gaza will suffer in silence. The juxtaposition of festivity and famine highlights a tragic reality that demands urgent attention and action.

The international community must not turn a blind eye to the plight of Gaza, where starvation is a weapon of war, and innocent lives hang in the balance.

The humanitarian crisis in Gaza is deepening, with essential services collapsing under the weight of the blockade. Over 75% of the house units across Gaza have sustained damage from Israeli bombing, with more than two million people displaced.

The health sector is in dire straits, with severe shortages in medicines and medical disposables, and hospitals operating at over 340% capacity in intensive care units.

The international community must act urgently to address the humanitarian disaster in Gaza. Immediate steps should be taken to ensure the delivery of essential food and medical supplies, and efforts should be made to lift the blockade and allow for the free movement of goods and people.

The stories of Noor, Rajaa, and countless other mothers in Gaza highlight the dire need for compassion and action. As Noor poignantly stated, “I am burning with the feeling of helplessness.”

The tragedy of Eid al-Adha in Gaza is a stark reminder of the human cost of conflict and the urgent need for peace and justice. The world must not turn a blind eye to the suffering of the people of Gaza. It is a call to action for all those who believe in human dignity and the right to live free from hunger and fear.

Since October 7, Israel’s assault on Gaza has resulted in killing of 37,232 Palestinian and 85,037 injuries.

Israel faces genocide accusations at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to halt its Rafah operation, where over a million Palestinians sought refuge.