The stark fact is that almost a quarter of Palestinian children are suffering from acute or chronic malnutrition for purely man-made reasons. No drought has hit Gaza and the West Bank, no crops have failed and the shops are often full of food. But the failure of the peace process and the destruction of the economy by Israel’s closure policy have had the effect of a terrible natural disaster.
Nursing and pregnant mothers too are suffering. On average they consume 15-20% fewer calories per day than they did before the outbreak of strife in 2000. The consequent anaemia, low folic acid intake and lack of proteins, threaten both their health and the normal development of their children.
The Guardian UK
