Doctors in Gaza Sound the Alarm: Children Arrive With Exposed Ribs and Flesh That Has Deteriorated

A Shocking Sight Awaits Doctors in Gaza

When American doctor Mohammed Adeel Khaleel arrived at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City, the first thing he saw was a 17-year-old boy with gunshot wounds in his legs—and visible ribs protruding beneath his skin. The boy wasn’t just injured; he was starving. This scene is repeated for doctors throughout the war-torn region.

“We see patients whose skin clings directly to their bones. They are living proof of the consequences of starvation,” explains Khaleel, who has volunteered in Gaza several times. “Hunger is no longer hidden. It is openly battling for their lives.”

UN: Famine Has Struck—and Is Spreading

On Friday, the UN’s leading food agency IPC officially declared that famine has occurred in Gaza City. More than 500,000 people are believed to be experiencing extreme food shortages, and the situation is expected to worsen further south by September.

Within 24 hours of the announcement, eight people died of hunger-related causes. According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, staffed by professional doctors, a total of 281 people have lost their lives to malnutrition since the beginning of the war.

The Most Vulnerable Suffer First—and Worst

Children, the wounded, and the sick are among the most vulnerable. At Shifa Hospital, nutritionist Mohammad Kuheil explains how malnutrition undermines any form of treatment. Even minor wounds become dangerous without proper nutrition, and post-operative patients are struggling because nutritional supplements are unavailable.

One such patient is Karam Akoumeh. His father describes how his son’s weight plummeted from 62 to 35 kilos after abdominal surgery—simply because his body could not absorb nutrients.

“I have looked everywhere in Gaza for the supplement doctors are asking for. It just doesn’t exist,” the father says.

“We Eat Once a Day—and It’s Not Enough”

Outside the hospitals, the situation is equally grim. Families survive on lentils—if they can get any food at all. Fruit, meat, and dairy products have disappeared from the markets. Prices may drop, but no one has money anyway.

“We eat once a day. There is nothing left,” says Dalia Shamali, who has had to flee repeatedly. Her story is not unique; it is the norm in Gaza today.

Famine Now Has a Face

For doctors, famine is no longer a statistic. It is Aya, 15 years old, who after an airstrike is too weak for her wounds to heal. It is Shamm, 2 years old, who weighs half of what she should—and who cannot even be tested for congenital conditions because laboratories are closed. It is thousands of children whose bodies scream for food, but receive only silence.

The UN warns the disaster will spread. And as Khaleel puts it:

“There is no longer any doubt. Famine is here. We can see it in every face.”

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