How do doctors treat starvation? – NBC News

Report on the Gaza Malnutrition Crisis and its Implications for Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: A Setback for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

The escalating humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, marked by rising deaths from starvation, represents a catastrophic failure to meet Sustainable Development Goal 2 (Zero Hunger). The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) reports that nearly the entire population faces a food security crisis, with over half experiencing “emergency” or “catastrophe” levels of starvation. This situation not only highlights an immediate need for intervention but also underscores the complex medical challenges that threaten SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

• Over 160 individuals, including at least 90 children, have died from malnutrition.
• The severity of starvation makes simple food distribution dangerous and potentially fatal due to the medical condition known as refeeding syndrome.

Impact on Health, Well-being, and Human Development (SDG 3 & SDG 4)

The Physiological Process of Starvation

The human body’s response to starvation involves a systematic breakdown that severely compromises health, directly contravening the targets of SDG 3.

1. Glycogen Depletion: The body first consumes its stored glycogen, which lasts for several days.
2. Fat and Muscle Catabolism: Once glycogen is depleted, the body breaks down fat and then muscle tissue for energy, leading to a gaunt appearance.
3. Systemic Failure: The immune system shuts down, making individuals highly susceptible to fatal infections. Brain function is impaired, leading to cognitive and psychological disturbances. Ultimately, cardiac failure can occur.

Vulnerable Groups and Long-Term Consequences

The crisis disproportionately affects the most vulnerable, with devastating long-term consequences that undermine multiple SDGs.

• Impact on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being): Children, pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses face the highest risk. Survivors, particularly children, may suffer from weakened immune systems and stunted physical growth for life.
• Impact on SDG 4 (Quality Education): Malnutrition in children can cause permanent cognitive damage due to deficiencies in essential nutrients, impairing their ability to learn and problem-solve, thereby jeopardizing an entire generation’s educational future.

Challenges to Humanitarian Intervention and SDG Implementation

The Complexity of Medical Treatment

Addressing the crisis requires a sophisticated medical response that is currently impossible to implement on the ground, highlighting a collapse of the systems needed to support SDG 3.

• Refeeding Syndrome: Introducing food, especially carbohydrates, too quickly to a severely malnourished person can trigger fatal shifts in fluids and electrolytes.
• Specialized Nutritional Needs: Effective treatment requires specific products like fortified milks and Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF), not basic supplies like flour, which can be harmful.
• Clinical Monitoring: Patients require constant medical supervision to monitor electrolyte levels (sodium and potassium) and manage the refeeding process over weeks or months.

Systemic Barriers to Aid Delivery

The failure to deliver effective aid is a direct consequence of systemic barriers that violate the principles of SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals).

• Inadequate Supplies: Humanitarian organizations report a critical lack of essential medications and nutritional supplies, such as High Energy Biscuits (HEB).
• Insufficient Personnel: There are not enough medical professionals on the ground to manage the complex refeeding process for the vast number of patients.
• Aid Blockade: Access restrictions prevent the necessary resources from reaching those in need, crippling the humanitarian response.

Conclusion: A Generational Crisis Undermining Global Goals

The starvation in Gaza is more than a humanitarian emergency; it is a developmental catastrophe with long-lasting effects. The physical and cognitive damage inflicted upon a generation of children will have permanent consequences, severely hindering progress toward a sustainable and equitable future. Achieving any measure of recovery is contingent on establishing peace and justice (SDG 16) and fostering robust international partnerships (SDG 17) to rebuild the health and food systems necessary to support human life and dignity.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article’s central theme is the severe hunger crisis in Gaza. It extensively discusses starvation, malnutrition, and the lack of access to safe and nutritious food, which are the core issues addressed by SDG 2.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The text details the severe health consequences of starvation, including deaths (especially among children), the medical complexities of treatment like “refeeding syndrome,” the breakdown of the immune system, and the long-term physical and cognitive damage. It also highlights the lack of medical staff and supplies, directly connecting to health systems and well-being.

• SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

  The article implicitly links the hunger crisis to the ongoing war and the “aid blockade,” which prevents essential supplies from reaching the population. This connects to SDG 16, as the violence and lack of peace are the root causes of the widespread starvation and collapse of essential services.

Identified SDG Targets

1. SDG 2: Zero Hunger

   • Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food

     The article directly addresses this target by stating that “nearly all of Gaza is suffering a food security crisis or worse, and more than half of the population is in the ’emergency’ or ‘catastrophe’ phase of starvation.” This demonstrates a complete failure to ensure access to sufficient food for all people.

   • Target 2.2: End all forms of malnutrition

     This target is central to the article, which focuses on “Severe Acute Malnourishment (SAM)” and its devastating effects. It explicitly mentions the most vulnerable groups identified in this target: “Children — specifically infants — pregnant women, the elderly.” The long-term consequences discussed, such as “stunted growth” and delayed “cognitive development” in children, are key concerns of Target 2.2.

2. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age

     The article provides a stark statistic directly related to this target: “More than 160 people — at least 90 of them children — have died of malnutrition since the war began.” These deaths from starvation are preventable, highlighting a critical failure to protect children.

   • Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks

     The crisis is described as a massive health risk that the system cannot manage. The article notes, “There are not enough doctors, not enough supplies and not the right supplies,” and the “aid blockade has prevented us from accessing the medications and nutrition supplies that are necessary to treat these people.” This points to a collapse in the capacity to manage a health crisis.

3. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

   • Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere

     The article establishes that the deaths from starvation are a direct consequence of the war and the associated “aid blockade.” Therefore, these deaths can be classified as conflict-related, directly relevant to the goal of reducing death rates caused by violence and conflict situations.

Mentioned or Implied Indicators

1. For SDG 2

   • Indicator 2.1.2: Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population

     The article explicitly references the “Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC),” stating that “more than half of the population is in the ’emergency’ or ‘catastrophe’ phase of starvation.” The IPC scale is the standard methodology used to measure and report on this indicator.

   • Indicator 2.2.1 (Prevalence of stunting) and 2.2.2 (Prevalence of malnutrition/wasting)

     The article’s discussion of “Severe Acute Malnourishment (SAM)” directly refers to wasting (Indicator 2.2.2). The mention of long-term effects like “stunted growth” in children directly refers to the phenomenon measured by Indicator 2.2.1.

2. For SDG 3

   • Indicator 3.2.1: Under-5 mortality rate

     The specific data point that “at least 90 of them children — have died of malnutrition” is a raw number that would be used to calculate the under-5 mortality rate for the region. The cause of death (malnutrition) is also specified, which is a key component of this indicator’s analysis.

3. For SDG 16

   • Indicator 16.1.2: Conflict-related deaths per 100,000 population

     The deaths from starvation are presented as a direct result of the war and blockade. As such, these fatalities can be counted as “conflict-related deaths,” which this indicator is designed to track.

Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: nbcnews.com