Cases Of Severe Malnutrition In Pregnant And Breastfeeding Women In Gaza Increase Sharply

JAKARTA – Doctors at hospitals managed by Action Aid International partner organization Community Return Association, in Gaza, reported a sharp increase in cases of severe malnutrition among pregnant and lactating women, as well as minors, as a result of the ongoing total blockade of aid entry and depletion of remaining food supplies.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the organization explained that there were no food, clean water, medicines, or other important supplies entering Gaza for more than 45 days after Israeli authorities closed all border crossings and prevented the entry of all aid.

It said people were suffering from hunger and their health was rapidly deteriorating due to severe food shortages that had led to the closure of bakeries and public kitchens, as well as the emptying of most supplies in the market.

The statement quoted the testimony of pediatrician Wissal Abu Badminton, head of the Department of Terapeutic Nutrition at the Community Return Association and Hospital in Nuseirat, central Gaza, as saying: “The impact on pregnant and lactating women is very clear.”

“We have seen a very significant increase in the number of pregnant and lactating mothers suffering from severe and moderate malnutrition. This is all due to the blockade over the past month and the closure of crossings. They all suffer from anemia and iron deficiency due to a lack of food or nutritional supplements, which has a negative impact on pregnancy,” he said. April 16.

He further explained that most babies were born with low weight. Most of the cases are currently babies who have weight at birth less than 2.5 kilograms. This has a direct correlation with the nutrition of pregnant women.

“There are also cases of miscarriage and bleeding that occur in women due to anemia during pregnancy,” Abu aired.

The latest survey conducted by the Nutrition Group found “between 10 percent and 20 percent of pregnant and lactating women suffer from malnutrition, while a third of women are pregnant in Gaza, about 55,000 people, facing high-risk pregnancies.

Meanwhile, about 130 babies are born in Gaza every day, but essential medical supplies such as anesthesia for childbirth, pain relievers, antibiotics and blood units needed for complicated cases are running low, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Malnutrition among small children has also increased, with medical sources in Gaza estimating around 60,000 children are at risk of experiencing serious health complications due to malnutrition.

At the same time, access to treatment is becoming increasingly difficult, with UNICEF forced to close its 21 nutritional centers due to Israeli shootings or forced eviction orders, stopping treatment for hundreds of children.

“After more than six weeks of intentional and thorough aid blockade to Gaza, the consequences of this unlawful and horrific decision. This is very clear,” said Reham Jafari, a Communications and Advocacy officer at ActionAid Palestine.

“Severe malnutrition increases among pregnant women, threatens their lives and the lives of their children and among small children, with very bad health consequences and life. Every day the banjir blockade continues, this humanitarian disaster is getting worse,” he explained.

He noted, “The time to condemn is over. People in Gaza who were not killed in the relentless daily bombings are now facing the risk of hunger.”

“The international community must act immediately to end this war permanently, ensuring the full withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, as stipulated in the ceasefire agreement, and enabling immediate and broad access to life-saving aid to prevent a worsening humanitarian catastrophe,” he said.

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