In December I wrote about how “the biggest contributor to inflicting death in Gaza will likely be the Israel government causing the loss of necessities for health, including nutrition, sanitation, shelter, and medical aid.” Sad confirmation of this prediction continues to appear.
In particular, a Monday United Nations-backed report warns of serious health threats in Gaza. The report states that “[t]he entire population in the Gaza Strip (2.23 million) is facing high levels of acute food insecurity” and even that famine conditions are imminent in part of Gaza. The report also details massive disruption of the provision of other necessities of life including health care, clean water, trash removal, and sewage systems. In such a situation, the threat from debilitating and deadly illness can be expected to rise sharply.
The first horror of the Israel government’s military attacks has killed and injured an astounding number of Gazans in just five months. An additional horror for Gazans, largely displaced from their attacked homes, is a daily struggle to survive in the face of the Israel government systematically working to deprive them of all means of even minimal sustenance.