Struggle of a Gazan family in searching for their next source of food

In the heart of Gaza, Abeer Sobh and her family are battling a harsh reality. Each day, Abeer and her three eldest children collect fresh water from a truck that brings water from central Gaza's desalination plant. The struggle doesn't end there; they also scour Gaza's bombed-out streets for anything to fuel their makeshift stove, even scraps of paper, wood, plastic bottles, plastic bags, and old shoes.

Abeer and Fadi Sobh, a couple living in a tent in Gaza, have six children. They have three options for food: charity kitchen, aid truck, or begging. Abeer appeals to the charity of those who have succeeded in obtaining food, and sometimes receives a small bag of flour. However, if all options fail, they do not eat.

Fadi was shot in the leg last month during a scramble for food aid trucks in northern Gaza, leaving him unable to participate in such activities. The children struggle with the heavy jerrycans of water. During the hottest part of the day, the Sobh children stay in or around the tent to avoid exertion and hunger.

Over the past 22 months, hunger has increased in Gaza due to aid restrictions. Israel enforced a complete blockade on food and other supplies for 2 1/2 months beginning in March. The collapsed essential services and near-total failure of aid distribution have led to a severe food crisis.

UN agencies warn that key food and nutrition indicators have exceeded famine thresholds. Over 39% of the population are going days without eating, and nearly a quarter of Gaza’s residents are enduring famine-like conditions. Acute malnutrition, especially among children under five, has quadrupled in two months, reaching critical levels that sharply increase the risk of death from hunger.

The breakdown of law and order makes it difficult to safely deliver food, and much of the aid that does get in is hoarded or sold at high prices. The flow of aid resumed in May, but it is a fraction of what aid organizations say is needed. Food experts warn that a "worst-case scenario of famine" is currently playing out in Gaza.

Youssef Abu Saleh, a regular at the aid truck collection site, often gives food to Abeer and her family due to their poverty and Fadi's illness. Despite these acts of kindness, Abeer feels weak and often dizzy due to the constant search for food and water. She contemplates taking her own life if the situation continues.

The international community, including UN officials, has called this crisis a disaster unfolding in real time and urgently demands an immediate ceasefire, lifting of aid restrictions, and massive humanitarian aid to prevent further starvation and deaths. This dire situation is exacerbated by relentless conflict, widespread destruction of infrastructure (70% destroyed), mass displacement, and severe restrictions on humanitarian aid delivery imposed on the UN and aid organizations. These restrictions have led to the collapse of essential services and a near-total failure of aid distribution. The militarized aid system, supported by Israel and the US, has failed to meet the scale of need, contributing directly to rising hunger and malnutrition.

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