Without baby formula, some infants in Gaza are facing a slow death

There are many ways to die in the Gaza Strip, and during a visit to a neonatal ward on Friday, NBC News’ team on the ground witnessed one reserved for the enclave’s most vulnerable residents: babies starving for lack of formula as Israel continues to restrict supplies from entering Gaza

There are many ways to die in the Gaza Strip, and during a visit to a neonatal ward on Friday, NBC News’ team on the ground witnessed one reserved for the enclave’s most vulnerable residents: babies starving for lack of formula as Israel continues to restrict supplies from entering Gaza.

At the neonatal ward in Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital, Dr. Ahmad al-Fara spends the day attending to beeping incubators trying to keep half a dozen babies alive, each one trapped in a crisis that could claim their life.

“These children are facing slow death,” al-Fara, who heads the department, said.

With dwindling supplies unable to be replenished, Dr. Marwan al-Hams, Gaza’s Director of Field Hospitals, told NBC News on Saturday, “we currently do not have Type 1 or 2 infant formula in hospitals, nor do we have the medical formula we use in incubators.”

“The malnutrition of pregnant or breastfeeding mothers exacerbates the situation, with cases of malnutrition among newborns and children increasing,” he added.