Yazan al-Kafarna, a 10-year-old afflicted with cerebral palsy since birth, has tragically become another victim of the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
Local media reported his passing on March 4th, 2024, at al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, marking the sixteenth child to perish from malnutrition since the war’s commencement in October 2023.
Heartbreaking images surfaced online, depicting Yazan’s frail figure on a hospital bed. A video captured his father contrasting a recent photo of a healthy Yazan with his current emaciated state. The father attributed the decline to the war’s disruption of access to essential food and medical supplies.
Displaced from their Beit Hanoun home by the conflict, the al-Kafarna family struggled to secure even basic sustenance for Yazan. According to a family member, Mohammed al-Kafarna, Yazan’s condition deteriorated to the point where he subsisted on meagre scraps of bread, often acquired at exorbitant prices. The family resorted to desperate measures, even offering sugar water to relieve starvation.
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Yazan’s cerebral palsy necessitated a specialized diet and supplements, tragically unavailable due to the war’s constraints. This lack of proper nutrition proved fatal, robbing Yazan of the additional support his body desperately needed.
Yazan’s plight is not an isolated tragedy. Journalists documented the deaths of other children due to malnutrition and hunger. One report detailed the passing of a young girl deprived of milk. At the same time, another recounted the case of Heba Ziadeh, who succumbed to dehydration and malnutrition at the Kamal Adwan hospital.
Genocide in Gaza continues
Gaza’s health infrastructure faces imminent collapse, particularly with the reported capture of the Kamal Adwan hospital by Israeli forces. Ashraf al-Qudra, spokesperson for Gaza’s Ministry of Health, decried the situation as a “war of starvation” waged against the enclave’s residents. He emphasized the alarming rise in hunger-related deaths, especially among children.
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The United Nations echoed these concerns, with the head of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warning of Gaza’s impending famine. Philippe Lazzarini highlighted the critical disruption in food aid deliveries, with the last successful distribution occurring in late January.
Humanitarian organizations paint a grim picture, with estimates suggesting over half a million Gazans facing imminent famine. The entire population, exceeding 2.3 million, grapples with severe food shortages. These dire circumstances prompted aid groups to raise the alarm, suggesting Israel’s restrictions on food and water access could constitute a crime against humanity.
Randa Ghazy, representing the NGO Save the Children, described Gaza as experiencing “the worst level of malnutrition worldwide.” She emphasized the devastating impact on pregnant women, who lack access to proper nutrition and healthcare, further jeopardizing their health and the well-being of their unborn children.
Last night, in Gaza’s Deir al-Balah, an Israeli airstrike targeted a humanitarian aid truck at the Kuwaiti roundabout, resulting in multiple civilian casualties. The Health Ministry reported a horrific massacre, with dozens of martyrs and wounded. Dr. Ashraf al-Qudra, the Health Ministry spokesman, condemned the Israeli occupation forces for what he described as systematic genocide, targeting hungry civilians in northern Gaza. The attack occurred as people awaited an aid convoy carrying flour near the Kuwaiti roundabout in Gaza City, leading to an estimated nine casualties.
This incident follows a similar aggression earlier in the week when the Israeli army fired upon Palestinians gathering for aid at al-Rashid Street, resulting in 112 deaths and the disturbing occurrence of bodies being run over by tracked vehicles.
On the 150th day of the ongoing conflict in Gaza, 13 devastating incidents occurred as a part of the Israeli military actions, resulting in the loss of 124 Palestinian lives and leaving 210 individuals wounded in just 24 hours. The relentless aggression by “Israel” has now led to a staggering total of 30,534 fatalities and 71,920 injuries, according to the Ministry of Health’s latest report.
Tragically, numerous civilians are trapped under debris, with Israeli occupation forces impeding civil defence and rescue operations, hindering the teams’ efforts to reach and assist the victims. The situation on the ground remains dire as the conflict persists.
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