Daily struggle of a Gaza family in search of sufficient sustenance to endure

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In the heart of the Gaza Strip, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding, with mounting evidence of famine, widespread starvation, and acute malnutrition. Abeer Sobh, a mother of six, is one of many who are struggling to survive.

Every day, Abeer and her children face the arduous task of collecting water. The heavy jerrycans weigh them down as they trek to the sea for fresh water, a necessity scarce in this troubled region.

The family's food situation is precarious. Hunger has increased due to aid restrictions and war, forcing them to scour Gaza's bombed-out streets, foraging through the rubble and trash for anything to fuel their makeshift stove. Abeer makes thin lentil soup when they have enough food, but often there is nothing, and they all go to bed hungry. If these options fail, they often go without food.

In an attempt to alleviate their hunger, Abeer sends her children to beg for food from neighbours when they can't find anything to eat. They have become familiar faces to those who regularly wait for aid trucks, and some give them food. If the charity kitchen is open, Fadi Sobh, Abeer's husband, often goes there for food, but it is rarely available and has insufficient portions.

Abeer and Fadi have three options for food: charity kitchens, aid trucks, or begging. However, these options are limited due to ongoing conflict and aid access restrictions. Israel enforced a complete blockade on food and supplies for 2½ months beginning in March, and even though the flow of aid resumed in May, it is a fraction of what is needed.

The law and order breakdown has made it difficult to safely deliver food, leading to hoarding and exorbitant prices. Humanitarian agencies are calling for an end to hostilities, protection for civilians and aid workers, and restoration of humanitarian aid corridors to address the unfolding disaster.

The near-total collapse of Gaza’s infrastructure (70% destroyed) and mass displacement leaving less than 12% of the Strip as "safe zones," have worsened the crisis. More than one-third of Gaza’s population is eating nothing for multiple days, with over 500,000 people enduring famine-like conditions and at risk of death from starvation.

According to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Gaza has reached two of the three famine thresholds: plummeting food consumption and acute malnutrition, with widespread starvation driving a rise in hunger-related deaths. Over 20,000 children have been treated for acute malnutrition, and there are reports of deaths linked to hunger and starvation.

Urgent action is required to prevent further deaths from hunger and malnutrition. The WFP has enough food stocks outside Gaza to supply the entire population for two months if a ceasefire and unobstructed access were allowed. Humanitarian agencies are pleading for an end to hostilities, protection for civilians and aid workers, and restoration of humanitarian aid corridors to address the unfolding disaster. The fate of families like the Sobhs hangs in the balance.

[1] UN OCHA, Gaza Crisis: Latest developments and humanitarian response (2021) [2] WFP, Gaza: Averting a catastrophe (2021) [3] Save the Children, Gaza Crisis: Children at Risk (2021) [4] UNICEF, Gaza Crisis: Children in Crisis (2021)

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