Generation of Gazan children could bear famine scars for years

Famine has left its mark on the bodies of Gaza's children: sunken eyes in wasted faces, sparse hair, prominent ribs, dry skin and a joyless apathy. It has also taken scores of lives. For those who survive, the physical and mental burden of hunger and nearly two years of relentless war and displacement will likely scar their bodies and brains, affecting their future health and potential, experts say. Marina Adrianopoli, the World Health Organization's technical lead for nutrition for the Gaza response, said global studies showed a range of "long-term effects and irreversible damages" if a child does not get enough food in the first year of life - especially if combined with trauma and stress. Memory, language, learning and...