At first, children cry. Without enough to eat, they quickly become cranky — and fixated on food. A mother in Gaza recently told Al Jazeera that her children ask for food “every minute” of the day. “All the time: ‘Mum, I want something. Mum, I’m hungry. Mum, I want bread,’” she said. “They mostly ask for bread.”

The initial days without food are agony. Children desperately want to eat, becoming agitated when they sense food. Once the body has used up its fat reserves, it starts burning muscle. If water is also scarce, it doesn’t take long to start feeling dizzy or nauseous, especially in the heat.

While experts have warned about the risk of famine in Gaza for months, the situation has gotten even worse since March, when Israel blocked nearly all aid from entering the area for weeks.

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