Gaza city: British surgeon Graeme Groom, who recently returned from a volunteer mission in the Gaza Strip, reported an alarming humanitarian crisis in the region. He revealed that children are being forced to sleep with "stomachs full of water and salt" as they endure a "man-made" crisis he likened to conditions from the Middle Ages.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Groom shared harrowing accounts from his time in Gaza, where he witnessed firsthand the severe famine and malnutrition plaguing the region. These conditions have led to the deaths of numerous infants and exacerbated the suffering of injured civilians, hindering their recovery and increasing the risk of infections and fatalities.
The crisis affects not just the patients but also the medical personnel. Groom highlighted that the famine is not a natural disaster but a result of human actions, emphasizing the dire circumstances faced by the people in Gaza.
In an interview with Anadolu Agency, the British surgeon recounted visiting a malnutrition clinic on May 27, where he learned from a pediatrician that 60 infants had died due to starvation since the blockade began. Many infants, unable to digest regular milk due to lactose intolerance, face a lack of essential nutrition.
The crisis extends to the medical staff as well, with Groom citing the struggles of his colleague, Palestinian anesthesiologist Nizar Abu Daqqa. Abu Daqqa's family has been severely impacted by the food scarcity, resorting to consuming water with salt to quell hunger.
Groom also recounted the plight of a young Palestinian, Mohammed Hamim, who risked his life to seek aid at a distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation. Video evidence provided by Hamim depicted civilians being shot at while waiting for aid, underscoring the perilous conditions surrounding relief efforts.
The distribution of aid, overseen by the Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation, has been met with criticism and rejection by the United Nations, despite coordination with the US and Israel. The ongoing violence has resulted in the deaths of 1,330 Palestinians and injuries to nearly 8,818 others due to the Israeli occupation army's actions against aid recipients.
Groom issued an urgent plea to global leaders, calling for an end to the violence and the immediate delivery of food and medical supplies to Gaza. He is part of a volunteer medical team from the British organizations Islamic Help and Ideals, which continues to provide medical assistance in Gaza despite the challenges posed by the blockade and restricted movement.
