Nick Maynard, a volunteer surgeon working at Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, describes a horrifying situation where children and families are suffering from deliberate starvation and violence. He has treated many malnourished patients, including babies so weak that they appear like newborns. The malnutrition crisis has worsened drastically, with many patients dying not from injuries but because their bodies are too weak to recover after surgery.
Maynard reports that Israeli policies are blocking food from entering Gaza, forcing desperate people to go to only a few militarized aid distribution points. These places are dangerous, and many people, including children, have been shot while trying to get food. He has even treated women who were injured while sheltering near these sites, including a breastfeeding mother and a pregnant woman.
The hospital is overwhelmed and running out of supplies. Healthcare workers themselves are suffering from malnutrition, and some have died in recent attacks. Maynard calls the situation “barbaric and entirely preventable.” He urges for a permanent ceasefire, safe and free passage of aid, and an end to the blockade. He warns that if nothing changes, thousands more children will die from hunger and violence.
He criticizes governments, including the UK, for supporting the military actions causing this suffering. Maynard’s message is clear: the starvation and attacks on Gaza’s civilians are deliberate, must stop immediately, and can be prevented with political will.
