Gaza Strip: Babies Starving Amid Israeli Formula Shortage Crisis
Infants in Gaza are confronted with a grim situation, with a lack of baby formula leading to a possible sluggish demise.
Gaza's tender souls are in distress, with countless infants dangerously malnourished due to a baby formula shortage in the Gaza Strip. During a recent visit to the neonatal ward, NBC News reporters observed the heart-wrenching situation firsthand.
Nested at Khan Younis' Nasser Hospital, Dr. Ahmad al-Fara tirelessly battles to keep a battalion of vulnerable newborns alive, all while confronting an emerging crisis that may claim their lives. Shouting out, "These children are on the brink of a slow, agonizing death," the dedicated doctor manages half a dozen fragile babies, trapped in a devastating plight.
On Saturday, Dr. Marwan al-Hams, Gaza's Director of Field Hospitals, revealed a distressing truth to NBC News – the hospitals are bereft of Type 1 or 2 infant formula, as well as the essential medical formula required for the incubators. As a result, the deplorable situation of malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding mothers become even more dire, causing an alarming rise in infant malnutrition.
Desperate measures lead some doctors to scour markets for alternative milk sources, oftentimes available in only limited quantities and at exorbitant prices. A lack of proper nutrition leaves babies vulnerable to other diseases, with protein deficiencies leading swiftly to infections, swelling, and organ failure.
According to Dr. al-Hams, at least 66 children have perished due to hunger and malnutrition since October 2023. At Nasser Hospital, Dr. al-Fara tends to Shams Mu'nis Dughayr, a 3-year-old fighting for life, her bloated belly and legs emaciated by a pitiful lack of protein. She weighs a mere 10 kilograms (22 pounds) when she should weigh 15 (33 pounds).
Nearby, Noha al-Lahham cradles her emaciated newborn, Mohammad Hisham al-Lahham. Her voice breaks as she whispers, "My child needs milk and vitamins to live. I long for him to prosper, to see the world."
The United Nations and other organizations have long warned the world about the potential famine crisis looming in Gaza. UNICEF claims that as of mid-2025, over 16,000 children between 6 months and 5 years old have been admitted into hospitals and clinics due to acute malnutrition this year alone. The Israeli blockade, in place since May 19, 2023, has caused a staggering 150% surge in malnutrition cases among children. Despite the blockade's partial lifting, the malnutrition cases have persisted.
"Every case is preventable," Edouard Beigbeder, UNICEF’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, declared in a statement. "The food, water, and nutrition treatments they desperately need are being obstructed from reaching them."
Should the current conditions continue, UNICEF predicts a surge in acute malnutrition cases in the coming weeks, potentially reaching a level not seen since the onset of the conflict in 2023.
"This is among a population of children where malnutrition was once nonexistent," the statement from UNICEF concludes ominously.
Silent casualties unfold in a humanitarian aid system that critics tag as paltry and marred by fatal violence. Since Israel partly relieved its total blockade on Gaza, over 500 lives have been claimed at food distribution sites, according to the local health ministry. Doctors Without Borders has denounced the system as "a slaughterhouse masquerading as humanitarian aid," urging its immediate dismantling, and Israeli daily Haaretz disclosed that soldiers have been instructed to open fire on civilians approaching aid centers. The Israeli military has acknowledged the allegations, as outlined in the Haaretz report, and GHF has requested a thorough investigation.
In the U.N.’s own words, Gaza’s aid system is "inherently unsafe," and despite some UN agencies' and organizations' limited aid deliveries, the situation remains grave—a man-made disaster that demands a swift and compassionate response from the world community.
In the midst of this crisis, the lack of baby formula has extended beyond an infant formula shortage, affecting health-and-wellness and nutrition for both mothers and newborns in the Gaza Strip. As a result, the demand for alternative sources of nutrition, such as milk, has significantly increased, making fitness-and-exercise more critical to sustain the fragile health of malnourished infants.
