A girl and a young woman died in the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning due to severe starvation and malnutrition, amid the ongoing stifling Israeli blockade and aggression on the Strip.
Medical sources at Al-Shifa Hospital reported the death of the girl, Rahaf Al-Balawi, after her health deteriorated rapidly due to a lack of food and medical care.
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah announced the death of the young woman, Shaima Al-Ashram (21 years old), due to the same causes. Later, the Ministry of Health announced the registration of seven new deaths in just 24 hours, resulting from the famine and malnutrition that have struck the Strip due to the Israeli blockade. This brings the total number of malnutrition victims to 339, including 124 children.
According to the Ministry’s data, since the announcement of the Emergency Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), 61 additional deaths have been recorded, including nine children, reflecting the worsening crisis, particularly for children, amid a severe food shortage and a near-total collapse of the health system.
The Ministry of Health warns daily of the increasing number of people suffering from emaciation and malnutrition, especially among children, women, and the elderly. Meanwhile, the United Nations confirms that famine has already occurred in Gaza City and could spread to the central and southern Gaza Strip in September if the humanitarian situation continues to deteriorate, with no practical steps yet taken to mitigate the catastrophe.
