-- Shares Facebook Twitter Reddit Email This article was originally published on The Conversation . The risk of famine looms in Gaza. International monitors warn more than 90% of the population face acute food insecurity, meaning their inability to eat enough food puts them in immediate danger of starvation.
The number experiencing "catastrophic" hunger is set to double in the coming months. Israel has been accused of deliberately blocking humanitarian aid, including food. In September, deliveries of food and aid to Gaza fell to their lowest in seven months after Israel introduced new customs rules.
The World Health Organization has repeatedly warned about the consequences of hunger and food insecurity in the region, including the impact on rising infection rates and increased child mortality . The scale of this humanitarian crisis could be overwhelming, as extreme hunger threatens to engulf an entire population – nearly half of which are children. What does hunger mean for people's health – especially children – at the individual level? And will survivors be able to recover from the damage? Who is most at risk? Food shortages mean people not only eat less overall but can miss out on essential nutrients.
This can lead to severe acute malnutrition. In children, this means measurable negative effects on bodily functions and growth, including weight and muscle loss. Some people will experience the effects of starvation more rapidly.
Those most at risk have low stores of en.