The only sign of life in this desolate human mass with white skin is the sparkle in the eyes. The warm look. You are shaken by the sight. By the horror. You cannot bear to look for long. Even so, you are haunted…
This is about 9-year-old Yazan al-Kafarneh, a child with cerebral palsy who had the misfortune, among other things, to be trapped in the Gaza Strip. A few days ago, as his parents made known, Yazan died from starvation.
Before the war, the family was able to provide Yazan with the special food he needed as well as medical care. This changed after October 7.
Yazan’s father made the tragic situation known by posting a photo on social media, showing what the nine-year-old looked like before and after. It showed a happy child. But this dramatically changed. His son lay in bed, appearing to melt away as life slowly and agonisingly left him. He was like an autumn leaf ready to fall from its branch.
The family was forced to leave their home in Beit Hanoun and go to Rafah during the fighting. In their new area, it was even harder to secure food for the boy. Despite their efforts for the best, Yazan’s health deteriorated day by day. The war showed him its harshest face, but also how merciless it can be, especially for vulnerable people.
In his last days, Yazan’s parents could only provide him with small pieces of bread or plain sugar to feed him. Yazan, the father describes, became very sick and malnourished. The heart-wrenching message while the child was still alive, the international press reports, made many people feel bad and reflect on the West’s responsibilities and the difficulties faced by people in Gaza.
Yazan became a symbol of the hardships faced by those trapped and the famine threatening their lives.
A little later, local media reported that Yazan died from hunger at the al-Najjar hospital in Rafah. He is not the only child. Another 16 children have lost their lives in this tragic and inhumane way. Because they have no food.
We feel ashamed! How could we allow this? How do we accept people being tortured like this? Why did the ship take so long?
