Palestinians have been slowly destroyed physically, mentally and emotionally for decades. But this ethnic cleansing operation called a "war" is nothing short of genocidal. It's the children - and their children - that are going to pay the heaviest price. Destroying the children of a people is destroying their future, right? The impact of violence and trauma, two years of missed schooling and the repeated panic-filled displacements etc are also going to stunt them for life. Gaza's children had the highest rate of PTSD in the world - and that was about 16 years ago. There will not be a child unscathed now in Gaza, and able to develop as they would/should have.
Chronic hunger takes a toll on the body and mind, even long after recovery, several health experts agree. It's especially dangerous to children and fetuses developing in the womb, according to the U.N. World Food Programme.
The damage can run as deep as altering how genes function — meaning starvation may not just affect survivors but also their descendants, according to Marko Kerac, a clinical associate professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine who studies the long-term effects of malnutrition.
" It's a lifelong thing, and it's even across generations," Kerac said.
So the "cure" is intensive nutrition and care of the physical and mental well-being including safety and rest. It's a long process. There is not a chance in hell Gaza's children are going to receive any of those things.
Personally, I think Israel should take it on itself to provide care for the children suffering from severe acute malnutrition or close to death in all its gleaming, well-funded hospitals until they are better. There is not a chance in hell of that happening either.
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