Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
After 2 Years Of War, Gaza Decimated By Starvation, Hopelessness
The New York Times: We Tried To Reach Gazans We Interviewed Over Two Years Of War. Here’s What Happened To Them.
We’ve interviewed more than 700 people in Gaza over the past two years. Their stories stayed with us. We kept wondering: Did they find their missing relatives? Are their homes standing? Did they bury their dead? Were they forced to flee again? Were they even still alive? So we tried to find them again. This is what they said. (10/7)
Mondoweiss: ‘Our Children Are Wasting Away Before Our Eyes’: Starvation Deaths On The Rise In Gaza As Famine Continues
Since the beginning of September alone, over 92 people have starved to death in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. This indicates a rapid increase in starvation-related deaths — in July, the toll stood at 122 people, and now it has reached 447, including 147 children. The Health Ministry confirms that in September, deaths from malnutrition “notably increased” due to Israel’s closure of the crossings, which prevented food aid, including baby formula, from reaching those in need. “Our children are wasting away before our eyes,” said one mother whose child died of malnutrition. “And what is coming will be much worse, because the situation is deteriorating. We see no solutions — only a merciless blockade, deprivation, and death.” (Hajjaj, 10/3)
World Food Programme: War In Gaza Two Years On: Humanitarian Access Improves But Acute Hunger Persists
Humanitarian conditions in Gaza remain horrific two years since the start of a war that has decimated lives, homes and livelihoods. A lack of access to food, shelter, water and medicine has taken an unfathomable toll on entire communities. WFP has seen some progress in food security in the past few weeks: Just a few months ago people were going for days without eating. Now more families are eating daily. A 25 kg bag of wheat flour costing US$340 in July was down to US$50 by the end of August. However, new, forced relocations jeopardize the progress made. More than 450,000 people have fled from northern Gaza to the south since August, but many of the most vulnerable remain trapped without means to leave. (10/6)
The New York Times: This Is What Malnutrition Does to Children’s Bodies
When children are deprived of sufficient food, a cascade of health failures can quickly follow. Critical illness and death threaten, and even those who survive may face a lifetime of health challenges. Young Palestinians, particularly those under age 5, are especially vulnerable in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has imposed restrictions on the entry of aid throughout the war, at times shutting crossings entirely. The highest levels of malnutrition since the war began were reported this summer, and its largest city has been officially declared under famine by a panel of food-security experts. (Robles, Nolen and Boxerman, 9/14)
Health Policy Watch: If And When The Guns Fall Silent - Gaza Faces Overwhelming Rehabilitation Task
Gazans with serious, long-term rehabilitation needs represent about one-quarter of the 167,376 people injured since the war began, according to the new WHO report. Over 5,000 people have faced amputation. Other severe injuries, include damage to limbs (over 22,000); spinal cord (over 2,000); brain (over 1,300), and major burns (more than 3,300). WHO has previously estimated that some $3 billion would be needed over just the next 18 months to rebuild Gaza’s shattered health system. Costs could be as high as $10 billion over the next several years. (Fletcher, 6/10)
