Dr Thaer Ahmad, who had volunteered at the Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza in January, said even then that malnutrition in Gaza was expected to rise, and the World Food Programme had warned as early as November that malnutrition was increasing and emergency aid needed to enter Gaza.
“When we were there in January, we saw just how difficult it was for aid trucks to get into the Gaza Strip and get to vulnerable populations. So this is something that many NGOs, many health professionals have been warning about,” Dr Ahmad told Al Jazeera, speaking from Washington, DC.
“You cannot just continue to allow the crisis of humanitarian aid delivery … and not expect that there are going to be consequences on the population,” Ahmad said.
“There is going to be a portion of the population that is going to die because of the lack of food. Specifically, what you see is that people – who are malnourished, who are dealing with dehydration – if they have a common cold or if they have some sort of stomach virus, they will die as a result of this because of the conditions on the ground,” he said.
“People starving to death. That’s what we are talking about, and we are talking about a significant number of the population,” he added.
“The solution is very clear and it is very simple. Get aid in. Get food in. Get water in. And that’s just not happening right now.”
David Turner is a globe-trotting journalist who brings a global perspective to our readers. With a commitment to shedding light on international events, he explores complex geopolitical issues, offering a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
