GAZA, August 2, 2025 (WAFA) – British surgeon Graeme Groom, who returned from a volunteer mission in the Gaza Strip, which is facing Israeli genocide and starvation, said that children there are "trying to sleep with stomachs full of water and salt," amid a "man-made" humanitarian crisis he described as "barbaric, harking back to the Middle Ages."
Groom referred to "shocking scenes he witnessed while working with a volunteer medical team" in Gaza, where Palestinians are suffering from famine and malnutrition, which have caused the deaths of dozens of infants and the deterioration of the condition of wounded civilians.
He affirmed that the increasing hunger directly affects the wounded, hindering their recovery, increasing infection rates, and increasing the risk of death.
He stated that hunger is not limited to patients, but also extends to medical personnel, noting that "what is happening in Gaza is not a natural famine, but rather a man-made one."
Children Dying of Hunger
The British surgeon explained to Anadolu Agency that on May 27, he visited a malnutrition clinic in Gaza, where a pediatrician told him that 60 infants had died of starvation since the beginning of the blockade. Some were lactose intolerant and there was no special milk available for them.
He added, "12 children are diagnosed with severe malnutrition every day, while some mothers are so hungry they cannot breastfeed."
Doctors Are Hungry
Groom stated that the famine has also affected health workers, citing his colleague, Palestinian anesthesiologist Nizar Abu Daqqa, who told him that his family had run out of food.
He added, "His six children, aged between two and 13, filled their stomachs with water and licked a little salt to sleep."
He stated that his colleague "was able to buy 8 kilograms of flour for $300 (pre-war flour cost about $3), which was all he had. It would only last them a few days, after which they would have nothing."
Shooting at Aid Waiters
Groom also spoke about a young Palestinian man, Mohammed Hamim, who he had previously worked with. He said that he was recently forced to go to an aid distribution point run by the Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which operates under US-Israeli coordination.
Hameem sent Groom video clips showing civilians waiting for aid being shot at. He recorded the sound of bullets, and the bodies and blood were clearly visible.
Apart from the oversight of the United Nations and international relief organizations, the occupation authorities began implementing an aid distribution plan on May 27 through the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Relief Foundation, an organization supported by Israel and the United States but rejected by the UN.
Since the start of this mechanism until yesterday, Friday, 1,330 Palestinians have been killed, with nearly 8,818 reported wounded, as a result of the Israeli occupation army's repeated shooting of aid recipients.
Urgent Appeal and Relief Efforts
Groom addressed world leaders, saying, "What we are witnessing in Gaza is barbarism that dates back to the Middle Ages. The bombing must stop and food must be allowed in."
Groom works as part of a volunteer medical team affiliated with the British organizations Islamic Help and Ideals, which have been implementing medical programs in Gaza since December 2023, including surgical operations, despite the Israeli blockade and the closure of the crossings, which prevents the sick and wounded from leaving the Strip.
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