Gaza Kids are starving. What does malnutrition do to the human body?

Gaza is facing an unprecedented health crisis caused by heavy malnutrition, with medical and humanitarian experts warning of catastrophic consequences on the horizon.

After nearly two years of ruthless war, exacerbated by months of restrictions on aid implemented by Israel, Gaza's population is facing what humanitarian organisations describe as conditions similar to hunger.

While no official hunger declaration has been made, aid agencies warn that widespread deaths are expected unless immediate food and medical interventions are made available soon.

Classification of the Integrated Food Safety Face (IPC), the main global authority for hunger emergencies, issued a strong alarm last week, claiming that the worst “skenar of hunger is currently under way in the Gas Strip”.

Increased tests indicate that widespread hunger, malnutrition and disease are boosting an increase in hunger related deaths. Disaction will now result in widespread death in most of the Belt”, the group added.

The World Health Organisation (OBSH) says malnutrition in Gaza has reached <x1-level alarming”.

Last month, the Palestinian United Nations refugee agency (UNRWA) reported that one out of five children in Gaza City is malnourished, with a daily increase.

“The people in Gaza are neither dead nor alive, they are corpses on their feet”, said Philip Lazaari, the general commissioner UNRWA's.

What happens to the body during hunger?

Malnutrition is not just hunger. It is a process that destroys the body from the inside outside.

In the first 24 hours with little or no food, the body relies on a stored sugar form called glycogen, which is kept in the liver.

After the sugar runs out, usually within a day, the body begins to burn its energy fat, writes euronews.

In adults, this transition can last longer because they tend to have slower metabolism and greater energy reserves.

But in infants and young children, this change is much faster.

Their bodies burn energy faster because children need far more calories than adults do to stay alive.

Their organs, especially the brain and the heart, are still developing and consume a disproportionately large amount of energy.

Once the body begins to rely on its energy reserves, <x0mors begin to forget, vital organs begin to malfunction effectively and slowly the body is spent”, Dr. James Smith, emergency medical and legalist at College London.

This impacts absolutely everything about normal physical function: the ability to move, the ability to think, the ability to raise an immune response to infections that might require attacking the body”, he added.

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How is malnutrition treated?

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Special nutrients that are rich in certain micronunets can help combat the effects of acute and chronic malnutrition.

It is not just a case if someone is malnourished to eat carbs rich foods and will be able to heal”, Smith said.

Christian Lindmeier, a spokesman for WHO, said that in many parts of the world, especially in developed countries malnutrition is an issue ignored because overweight and diet - related diseases dominate public health concerns.

Emergency calls for humanitarian access and medical support

Without quick and secure humanitarian access, international aid organisations and human rights groups warn that an increase in hunger-related deaths in Gaza is imminent.

There must be immediate measures to end the hostilities and allow an unhindered humanitarian response, large-scale and life-saving. This is the only way to prevent further deaths and catastrophic human suffering”, IPC's alarm said last week.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, 93 children have died so far from causes related to malnutrition since the beginning of the war.

As the only functional health authority in the territory, the Hamas-led ministry has on professional medical staff, the figures of victims widely considered by the UN and international experts as the most reliable available.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that no one is suffering from hunger in Gaza and that sufficient assistance has been offered during the war, “otherwise, there would be no residents of Gaza”.

Last week, Israel announced a “tactical challenge of military activity” daily in parts of Gaza to allow more help to flow into enclaves, saying this would be “ded down the false claim of deliberate hunger at the Gaza Belt”.

However, Israel's closest ally now seems to disagree.

Last week, during a visit to the United Kingdom, US President Donald Trump rejected Israel's stance, saying there were “true” and that Israel should allow “any food particles” in Gaza.

“Those kids look very hungry”, Trump said.

Otherwise, the Gaza crisis is one of the most extreme hunger emergencies in the world but is not isolated.

According to a recent UN report, over 720 million people worldwide faced hunger in 2024, conflict, displacement and economic turmoil that trigger a global epidemic of malnutrition.