Charity Reports Gaza’s Malnourished Children Express Despair, Yearning for an End to Their Suffering

Children in Gaza have expressed their heartbreaking wish to die due to a lack of access to food and clean water, as shared by Rachel Cummings, the humanitarian director of the charity ‘Save the Children’.

In an interview on RTÉ’s News At One, Ms. Cummings highlighted the severe impact the ongoing conflict in Gaza is having on the mental wellbeing of Palestinian children. She stated, “We have children in our child-friendly spaces, where we provide psychological support, sharing with us that they now wish to die because there is food and water in heaven.”

“The impact on children is absolutely catastrophic,” she continued. “Not only is the immediate toll staggering, but the medium and long-term repercussions are profoundly concerning.”

Amid this crisis, an aid truck in Khan Yunis has been distributing water to displaced Palestinians, yet the situation remains dire. The charity has noted a significant number of children, as well as pregnant and breastfeeding women, displaying signs of malnutrition.

Ms. Cummings reported that no food has been available for purchase in Deir al-Balah for the past five days, a reality that likely reflects the broader situation across Gaza. “Our team working in the territory also cannot find or buy food,” she said. “The situation gets worse every day, which is almost unimaginable.”

She emphasized, “This is symptomatic of a larger crisis where families are rationing what little food they have for their children. This is the reality across all of Gaza.”

Describing the atmosphere in Gaza, Ms. Cummings said that everyone is “hungry, exhausted, and terrified,” and faced with excruciating choices regarding food. “They’re bulking out whatever food they have with dirty water, fully aware it may make their children sick.”

Save the Children operates roughly 3 kilometers from areas in Gaza designated for evacuation as Israeli attacks continue. Ms. Cummings recounted, “We can hear active and heavy gunfire and bombardments. There is nowhere safe in Gaza.” With people increasingly displaced towards al-Mawasi, Khan Younis, and the beach, she noted that the areas are already overcrowded, leaving many with no viable option but to remain in their precarious situations. “They have no means to move, making the impossible decision to stay,” she added.

In these challenging times, the voices of children call out for urgent action and compassion—there is much work still to be done to bring hope and sustenance back to those in need.

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International – Monitoring.