A Mother’s Fight Against Hunger: A Story from Gaza
Nazek*, 30, is a mother of four from Gaza. Her youngest daughter, Nour*, is just over a year old. When the war began, Nazek was already pregnant. Her family fled their home, first seeking shelter in a relative’s overcrowded house before eventually moving to a tent in Rafah.
During her pregnancy, Nazek faced constant hunger and harsh living conditions. She began experiencing palpitations and shortness of breath; symptoms she had never felt in her previous pregnancies. Despite these challenges and the ongoing danger around her, she carried her pregnancy to term, and baby Nour was born in a tent.
Nazek tried to breastfeed, but with little food for herself, she struggled to produce enough milk. By the time Nour was seven months old, she had developed Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM). Her weight dropped, her skin became pale, and she grew weak and lethargic.
At a Save the Children nutrition clinic, Nour received treatment and Ready-to-Use Supplementary Food (RUSF). Over four months of follow-up, her condition improved from severe to moderate malnutrition. Nazek was deeply relieved to see her daughter getting better, but life remains difficult. For Nour, the nutritional supplements are sometimes the only food available – still far from enough for her to recover fully.
“Because of the famine, sometimes there’s no food and we go to bed hungry. We save food for the children. I say: I won’t eat, if she eats and is full, then I am full too,” Nazek says.
Nazek’s experiences in seeking treatment for Nour are echoed by Amal*, a CMAM (Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition) nurse. “The biggest need of the children in Gaza now is food and health services,” Amal says. “The starvation is still happening. Limited food enters and it’s so expensive, the families cannot buy it. So, the starvation is still [happening], and the famine is still happening. [We] need more services. [We] need more help for the children.”
Save the Children is delivering life-saving nutrition services in Gaza, providing therapeutic food, medical referrals, and ongoing follow-up care to children and families suffering from the devastating impacts of hunger and famine.
Building on this critical work, Save the Children Canada has launched The MAPLE (Malnutrition and Protection for Lifesaving in Emergencies) Project. A multi-country initiative funded by Global Affairs Canada, this project will deliver an integrated, gender-responsive approach to nutrition, health, water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), and protection services for crisis-affected communities in 12 countries — including the occupied Palestinian territories.
*Names changed.