Gaza Mother Reports Famine's Harrowing Toll on Daughter's Health

Tue Oct 21 2025 03:26:05 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Rida Hijjeh shares a devastating account of her daughter's drastic weight loss amid the ongoing famine in Gaza City.

Amid confirmed famine conditions in Gaza City, Rida Hijjeh reveals her five-year-old daughter, Lamia, has lost nearly half her body weight, dropping 8.5 kg and now unable to walk. The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification has raised the classification to Phase 5, indicating catastrophic food insecurity, as the situation is expected to worsen in surrounding areas. Despite these claims, Israeli officials dispute the existence of starvation in Gaza.

Gaza Mother Reports Famine's Harrowing Toll on Daughter's Health

In a heartbreaking testimony, mother Rida Hijjeh reveals that her daughter, five-year-old Lamia, has shockingly lost almost half of her body weight due to the ongoing famine in Gaza City. Lamia, who has faced multiple displacements during the war, now weighs 8.5 kg and struggles to walk, a painful reminder of the mounting humanitarian crisis.

As per the latest reports from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), Gaza is experiencing severe food insecurity, classified as Phase 5—the highest level of acute food insecurity. The IPC warns that the catastrophic conditions are expected to expand further into nearby regions like Deir al-Balah and Khan Younis by the end of September.

In response to these alarming revelations, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed the IPC report as an outright lie, asserting that there is no starvation occurring in Gaza.

For those wishing to stay updated on the situation in Gaza City and its implications, you can read more on this story.