Gaza Milk Crisis: Thousands of Infants Face Death Amid Siege and Starvation

As Israel’s war of extermination and siege on the Gaza Strip continues, the humanitarian crisis deepens by the day, particularly in makeshift displacement camps lacking the most basic necessities. Among the gravest threats now facing civilians is the catastrophic shortage of infant formula, placing thousands of newborns and premature babies at risk of death in the coming days.

Urgent Medical Warnings: Infants Caught Between Hunger and Death

At Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis, the largest hospital in southern Gaza, pediatric doctors have issued dire warnings of an “imminent health disaster” due to the depletion of infant formula. Hundreds of preterm and newborn infants are now “caught between life and death,” as formula is no longer available in hospitals, pharmacies, markets, or aid warehouses.

A senior doctor at the hospital confirmed that medical teams are operating at “ground zero” when it comes to infant nutrition. The current supply of stage-one formula used in neonatal intensive care units is expected to run out within 48 hours. “If formula is not brought in within hours, we will begin to lose tiny lives to starvation,” he said.

In the absence of formula, doctors may be forced to rely on intravenous fluids, an emergency measure that carries significant risks, including electrolyte imbalances that can be fatal for newborns.

The hospital's neonatal unit receives over 20 cases daily of infants suffering from malnutrition and malabsorption. Meanwhile, hundreds of infants outside hospitals are also in desperate need of formula. With Gaza’s border crossings sealed for over four months, Israel has blocked the entry of food, medical supplies, and, most critically, infant milk.

Dr. Ahmed Al-Farra, director of Nasser Hospital, stressed that the crisis extends beyond standard baby formula, now including specialized therapeutic formulas for infants with metabolic and digestive disorders. He also noted that due to severe maternal malnutrition, many mothers are unable to breastfeed, exacerbating the crisis.

Pleas From Hospitals and Fears of Silent Genocide

In Gaza City, Dr. Jameel Ali, director of Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital, issued an urgent appeal from inside the facility, stating:

“We don’t have a single can of infant formula left, despite receiving dozens of children each day suffering from malnutrition and absorption disorders. This is no longer just a crisis; it’s a humanitarian crime against childhood.”

Despite severe limitations, the hospital continues to admit new cases daily, but staff are overwhelmed and unable to offer adequate care. Dr. Ali called on the international community and humanitarian organizations to act immediately to save children’s lives.

Dr. Al-Farra warned that malnutrition in a child’s first three years can cause not only illness and death but also permanent developmental and cognitive damage that may last a lifetime.

Gaza Government Media Office Director Dr. Ismail Al-Thawabta described the situation as a “silent genocide” inflicted by Israel through a deliberate policy of food blockade and formula denial.

“Children are left to face slow death, without food, medicine, clean water, or even baby milk,” he said, stressing that children are the most vulnerable and likely victims of the next phase of this humanitarian catastrophe.

According to official Palestinian statistics, at least 60 children have already died from starvation and malnutrition, most of them under two years old. The number is expected to rise rapidly if the siege persists.

The “Tahrir Building” at Nasser Complex, which specializes in pediatric care, is now severely overcrowded, receiving approximately 10 new cases of acute malnutrition daily. Staff say they can no longer accommodate the growing number of children in need, particularly given the total lack of medical supplies.

Total Humanitarian Collapse and Global Silence

Since October 7, 2023, Israel has carried out a devastating military campaign in Gaza, resulting in over 186,000 casualties, including tens of thousands of women and children, and more than 11,000 missing persons. Entire neighborhoods have been razed, and hundreds of thousands have been displaced, many of whom now live in fragile tents under unbearable conditions.

Despite a binding order from the International Court of Justice demanding an end to Israel’s violations, the occupying power continues to enforce a strangling blockade that deliberately targets Gaza’s civilians through systematic starvation.

While the world remains distracted by the growing Iran-Israel conflict, Gaza has all but vanished from the headlines. Yet, the humanitarian catastrophe continues to unfold daily.

Repeated appeals from local medical professionals and human rights organizations have gone unanswered. Border crossings remain closed, and essential humanitarian aid is stalled at checkpoints, with international inaction effectively enabling this siege.

Doctors in Gaza, working under what they call “catastrophic conditions,” insist that replacing infant formula with IV fluids is not a solution but rather a desperate, losing battle against death. The only viable option is to allow immediate entry of formula and supplies in sufficient quantities to save the remaining children.

In displacement camps across Gaza, mothers have nothing left but tears as they watch their babies slowly fade away. Amid war, cold, and hunger, crying has become the only language in Gaza’s neonatal wards.

Sources: Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), official medical sources in Gaza, reports from Al Jazeera, and various international humanitarian organizations.