Hello, I am Sarah, living in the Netherlands and I have been assisting families in Gaza for some time.

I was contacted by a young woman one night who told me she had recently had her first child, was struggling to breastfeed any longer - and asked if I could help. The baby was hungry and distressed. She took him to get weighed again at the clinic and learned that his weight had started to drop! She was told that she was too thin to feed him and should start feeding him formula milk as soon as possible. She was able to buy a small amount but this ran out. With insufficient funds for more she had no choice but to give her infant son boiled water with some herbs - this continued for 7 days! He cried continually and this dear woman understood very quickly that unless the situation changed, she would have to watch her small son wither and die slowly  before her eyes.

As a mother myself I can't begin to imagine the torment and helplessness she felt, but thousands of other mothers in Gaza are facing this  same horror right now. During the time the infant was only given water, I raised some money, and identified someone close by to handle a fast payment. I sent the money to Gaza and the milk was purchased. 

The baby has now been getting some milk each day - but has mostly not been getting enough. This is because of the cost - Formula milk in Gaza is now $100 (85 Euros) per container (as at late July’25) because Israel has been limiting its entry - with a near total blockade for nearly three months. Such a container is only enough to feed a 2 month old child for  4/5 days - so it is very very expensive! Of course getting milk via this route is ‘buying time’ - but that is the only option for now, and it is saving lives.  

We must try our very best to keep these babies alive, until all the Aid waiting outside for months is given full unfettered access. The situation in Gaza is now appalling. This woman is living in a tent with her extended family.  Food is very scarce, extremely expensive and everyone is  close to starvation - while the bombing  of civilians continues without pause.