Help GINA support feeding infants in Gaza

My name is Reem, I am a consultant in Emergency Medicine in Scotland and a mother of two young daughters. My late father grew up in a refugee camp in Gaza, his stories of growing up battling poverty and oppression were etched in my memory.

It is estimated that 183 babies are born every day in Gaza, they are extremely vulnerable as they can only receive breast milk or suitable substitutes. However, mothers are starving, some were killed leaving their vulnerable newborns to extended family members who are now struggling to find milk substitutes.

The hungry babies are comforted using plain water or diluted UNRWA powder milk meant for older children, both options have serious health consequences for years to come.

You can help me answer the cries of those innocent babies, together we can reach out and support breastfeeding mothers as well as help provide hospitals with milk substitutes to those who could not receive human milk.

It is estimated that 33,000 babies between the age of 1 day and 6 months are living in Gaza at any time, they need our collective action urgently.

I am working with a number of midwives in Gaza to promote and support breastfeeding, and also collaborating with two charities to deliver food parcels to lactating mothers.

We had previously purchased formula milk in Egypt and delivered it to a number of Gazan hospitals in March through Scot Aid. Since then, we have worked hard to align our work with WHO code on Infant and Young Children Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E), and so we are now exclusively focusing on breastfeeding support and lactating mothers' nutrition, through collaboration with Scot Aid and the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organisation.

No donation is too small and every help is welcomed.

Thank you for donating and sharing.

Reem Al Soufi Shemilt