A British surgeon, Dr. Graeme Groom, who recently returned from a volunteer mission in the Gaza Strip, has described the humanitarian crisis there as “medieval savagery.” He stated that children are “trying to sleep on stomachs filled with water and salt” amid a man-made famine.
Dr. Groom, who worked with a volunteer medical team, recounted shocking scenes where Palestinians are suffering from starvation and malnutrition. This has led to the deaths of dozens of infants and the worsening condition of wounded civilians.
Speaking to the Anadolu Agency, Dr. Groom explained that the escalating hunger directly impacts the injured, hindering their recovery, increasing infection rates, and doubling the risk of death. He noted that the famine is not limited to patients, as medical staff are also affected. He stressed that “what is happening in Gaza is not a natural famine, but a manufactured one.”
Dr. Groom recalled visiting a malnutrition clinic on May 27, where a pediatrician informed him that 60 infants had died from starvation since the siege began. Some of these infants suffered from lactose intolerance, and no specialized milk was available for them. He added, “12 children are diagnosed with severe malnutrition daily, while some mothers are so hungry they are unable to breastfeed their babies.”
He also cited the case of his colleague, Palestinian anesthesiologist Nizar Abu Daqqa, who told him that his family had no food. According to Dr. Groom, his colleague’s six children, aged between two and a half and 13, “filled their stomachs with water and licked a little salt so they could sleep.” The colleague had to spend his entire savings of $300 to buy just eight kilograms of flour, which would only last for a few days.
The British surgeon warned that malnutrition is particularly harmful to children and can leave lasting health and developmental effects.
Dr. Groom issued a plea to world leaders, saying, “What we are witnessing in Gaza is medieval savagery. The bombing must stop, and food must be allowed in.”
