Latest news with #SalimOweis
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Gaza running out of specialised food to save malnourished children
In the first two weeks of July alone, Unicef treated 5,000 children facing acute malnutrition in Gaza. (AP pic) GENEVA : Gaza is on the brink of running out of the specialised therapeutic food needed to save the lives of severely malnourished children, UN and humanitarian agencies say. 'We are now facing a dire situation, that we are running out of therapeutic supplies,' said Salim Oweis, a spokesman for Unicef in Amman, Jordan told Reuters on Thursday, saying supplies of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a crucial treatment, would be depleted by mid-August if nothing changed. 'That's really dangerous for children as they face hunger and malnutrition at the moment,' he added. Oweis said Unicef had only enough RUTF left to treat 3,000 children. In the first two weeks of July alone, Unicef treated 5,000 children facing acute malnutrition in Gaza. Nutrient-dense, high-calorie RUTF supplies, such as high-energy biscuits and peanut paste enriched with milk powder, are critical for treating severe malnutrition. 'Most malnutrition treatment supplies have been consumed and what is left at facilities will run out very soon if not replenished,' a World Health Organisation spokesman said on Thursday. The WHO said that a programme in Gaza that was aiming to prevent malnutrition among the most vulnerable, including pregnant women and children under five, may have to stop work as it is running out of the nutritional supplements. Gaza's food stocks have been running out since Israel, at war with Palestinian militant group Hamas since October 2023, cut off all supplies to the territory in March, lifting that blockade in May but with restrictions that it says are needed to prevent aid being diverted to rebel groups. As a result, international aid agencies say that only a trickle of what is needed, including medicine, is currently reaching people in Gaza. Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by rebels. It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's 2.2 million people. Cogat, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, in response to emailed questions on RUTF supplies said it was working with international organisations to improve the distribution of aid from the crossings where hundreds of aid trucks were waiting. Save the Children, which runs a clinic that has treated spiking numbers of malnourished children in central Gaza, said it had not been able to bring in its own supplies since February and was relying on UN deliveries. 'If they're going to run out, that's also going to affect Unicef partners and other organisations that rely on their supplies to provide that for children,' said Alexandra Saieh, global head of humanitarian policy and advocacy at Save the Children. Unicef said that from April to mid-July, 20,504 children were admitted with acute malnutrition. Of those patients, 3,247 were suffering from severe acute malnutrition, nearly triple the number in the first three months of the year. Severe acute malnutrition can lead to death, and to long-term physical and mental developmental health problems in children who survive. The WHO said on Wednesday 21 children under the age of five were among those who died of malnutrition so far this year. Two more Palestinians died overnight from starvation, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday, bringing the total number of people who have starved to death to 113, most of them in recent weeks as a wave of hunger crashes on the Palestinian enclave.
Ammon
4 days ago
- Health
- Ammon
Gaza running out of specialised food to save malnourished children
Ammon News - Gaza is on the brink of running out of the specialised therapeutic food needed to save the lives of severely malnourished children, United Nations and humanitarian agencies say. "We are now facing a dire situation, that we are running out of therapeutic supplies," said Salim Oweis, a spokesperson for UNICEF in Amman, Jordan told Reuters on Thursday, saying supplies of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a crucial treatment, would be depleted by mid-August if nothing changed. "That's really dangerous for children as they face hunger and malnutrition at the moment," he added. Oweis said UNICEF had only enough RUTF left to treat 3,000 children. In the first two weeks of July alone, UNICEF treated 5,000 children facing acute malnutrition in Gaza. "Most malnutrition treatment supplies have been consumed and what is left at facilities will run out very soon if not replenished," a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Thursday. The WHO said that a programme in Gaza that was aiming to prevent malnutrition among the most vulnerable, including pregnant women and children under five, may have to stop work as it is running out of the nutritional supplements. As a result, international aid agencies say that only a trickle of what is needed, including medicine, is currently reaching people in Gaza. Reuters
Irish Independent
5 days ago
- Health
- Irish Independent
Israel to allow foreign countries to drop aid into Gaza from today, army radio says
An Israeli military spokesperson did not immediately reply to a Reuters request seeking confirmation. This comes as Gaza is on the brink of running out of the specialised therapeutic food needed to save the lives of severely malnourished children, United Nations and humanitarian agencies say. "We are now facing a dire situation, that we are running out of therapeutic supplies," said Salim Oweis, a spokesperson for UNICEF in Amman, Jordan told Reuters on Thursday, saying supplies of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a crucial treatment, would be depleted by mid-August if nothing changed. "That's really dangerous for children as they face hunger and malnutrition at the moment," he added. Oweis said UNICEF had only enough RUTF left to treat 3,000 children. In the first two weeks of July alone, UNICEF treated 5,000 children facing acute malnutrition in Gaza. Nutrient-dense, high-calorie RUTF supplies, such as high-energy biscuits and peanut paste enriched with milk powder, are critical for treating severe malnutrition. "Most malnutrition treatment supplies have been consumed and what is left at facilities will run out very soon if not replenished," a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Thursday. The WHO said that a programme in Gaza that was aiming to prevent malnutrition among the most vulnerable, including pregnant women and children under five, may have to stop work as it is running out of the nutritional supplements. Gaza's food stocks have been running out since Israel, at war with Palestinian militant group Hamas since October 2023, cut off all supplies to the territory in March, lifting that blockade in May but with restrictions that it says are needed to prevent aid being diverted to militant groups. As a result, international aid agencies say that only a trickle of what is needed, including medicine, is currently reaching people in Gaza. Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by militants. It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's 2.2 million people. COGAT, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, in response to emailed questions on RUTF supplies said it was working with international organisations to improve the distribution of aid from the crossings where hundreds of aid trucks were waiting. Save the Children, which runs a clinic that has treated spiking numbers of malnourished children in central Gaza, said it had not been able to bring in its own supplies since February and was relying on United Nations deliveries. "If they're going to run out, that's also going to affect UNICEF partners and other organisations that rely on their supplies to provide that for children," said Alexandra Saieh, Global Head of Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy at Save the Children. UNICEF said that from April to mid-July, 20,504 children were admitted with acute malnutrition. Of those patients, 3,247 were suffering from severe acute malnutrition, nearly triple the number in the first three months of the year. Severe acute malnutrition can lead to death, and to long-term physical and mental developmental health problems in children who survive. The WHO said on Wednesday 21 children under the age of five were among those who died of malnutrition so far this year.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
Lifesaving food for starving children in Gaza to run out by mid-August, warn UN agencies
Gaza is on the verge of a full-blown famine, with over 100 already dead from starvation and thousands of severely malnourished children at risk, United Nations agencies warned. Stocks of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), essential for treating children suffering from severe malnutrition will be soon over, the United Nations and aid agencies warned on Thursday. UNICEF spokesperson Salim Oweis said only enough supplies remain to treat 3,000 children, even as 5,000 were treated in just the first half of July. 'That's really dangerous,' he told Reuters, stressing the looming health crisis. RUTF, including high-energy biscuits and milk-enriched peanut paste, is critical for saving lives. Supplies could run out completely by mid-August, while the World Health Organization said most stock had already been consumed and remaining supplies would run out 'very soon.' A nutrition programme targeting pregnant women and children under five also faces shutdown. Aid groups like Save the Children said they haven't been able to bring in their own supplies since February and are depending on UN deliveries. From April to mid-July, 20,504 children were admitted for acute malnutrition in Gaza, including over 3,200 in severe condition—nearly triple the figures from earlier this year. Gaza's food supply has been strained since Israel's March blockade. Though partially lifted in May, severe restrictions remain. COGAT, the Israeli agency overseeing aid, says it's working with humanitarian partners to improve access. So far this year, at least 21 children under five and 113 Palestinians overall have died of starvation, with most deaths occurring in recent weeks. Ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas are likely to resume next week after Israel reviews the latest response from the Palestinian militant group, Egypt's Al Qahera News TV reported on Friday, citing an unnamed official source. According to the state-affiliated outlet, the Israeli delegation departed the talks a day after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recalled his negotiating team for internal consultations. The United States, a key player in the negotiations, also pulled its delegation on Thursday. US envoy Steve Witkoff accused Hamas of failing to engage sincerely in the talks. In response, Hamas expressed surprise at the US remarks, stating that its latest position had been positively received by mediators and had created an opening for a comprehensive agreement.
Asharq Al-Awsat
5 days ago
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Gaza Running Out of Specialized Food to Save Malnourished Children
Gaza is on the brink of running out of the specialized therapeutic food needed to save the lives of severely malnourished children, United Nations and humanitarian agencies say. "We are now facing a dire situation, that we are running out of therapeutic supplies," said Salim Oweis, a spokesperson for UNICEF in Amman, Jordan told Reuters on Thursday, saying supplies of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF), a crucial treatment, would be depleted by mid-August if nothing changed. "That's really dangerous for children as they face hunger and malnutrition at the moment," he added. Oweis said UNICEF had only enough RUTF left to treat 3,000 children. In the first two weeks of July alone, UNICEF treated 5,000 children facing acute malnutrition in Gaza. Nutrient-dense, high-calorie RUTF supplies, such as high-energy biscuits and peanut paste enriched with milk powder, are critical for treating severe malnutrition. "Most malnutrition treatment supplies have been consumed and what is left at facilities will run out very soon if not replenished," a World Health Organization spokesperson said on Thursday. The WHO said that a program in Gaza that was aiming to prevent malnutrition among the most vulnerable, including pregnant women and children under five, may have to stop work as it is running out of the nutritional supplements. Gaza's food stocks have been running out since Israel, at war with Palestinian group Hamas since October 2023, cut off all supplies to the territory in March, lifting that blockade in May but with restrictions that it says are needed to prevent aid being diverted to "militant" groups. As a result, international aid agencies say that only a trickle of what is needed, including medicine, is currently reaching people in Gaza. Israel says it is committed to allowing in aid but must control it to prevent it from being diverted by "militants". It says it has let enough food into Gaza during the war and blames Hamas for the suffering of Gaza's 2.2 million people. COGAT, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, in response to emailed questions on RUTF supplies said it was working with international organizations to improve the distribution of aid from the crossings where hundreds of aid trucks were waiting. Save the Children, which runs a clinic that has treated spiking numbers of malnourished children in central Gaza, said it had not been able to bring in its own supplies since February and was relying on United Nations deliveries. "If they're going to run out, that's also going to affect UNICEF partners and other organizations that rely on their supplies to provide that for children," said Alexandra Saieh, Global Head of Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy at Save the Children. UNICEF said that from April to mid-July, 20,504 children were admitted with acute malnutrition. Of those patients, 3,247 were suffering from severe acute malnutrition, nearly triple the number in the first three months of the year. Severe acute malnutrition can lead to death, and to long-term physical and mental developmental health problems in children who survive. The WHO said on Wednesday 21 children under the age of five were among those who died of malnutrition so far this year. Two more Palestinians died overnight from starvation, the Gaza health ministry said on Thursday, bringing the total number of people who have starved to death to 113, most of them in recent weeks as a wave of hunger crashes on the Palestinian enclave.
