MIDDLE EAST: One in five young Palestinian children is suffering from malnutrition as Israeli blockades and curfews make food hard to come by, according to preliminary findings of a joint Palestinian-international study.
The survey, funded by CARE International and the US Agency for International Development (USAID), drew an urgent appeal by the Palestinian Health Minister for more international aid - but little sympathy from his Israeli counterpart.
Preliminary results of the study, by two Palestinian institutions, Al Quds University and the Global Management Consulting Group, with technical assistance from the US Johns Hopkins University, showed that 22.5 per cent of children under five in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were malnourished.
Of those, 13.2 per cent were suffering from chronic malnutrition, a figure which the study said put them on par with children in countries such as Nigeria and Chad.
"I call on all international institutions and world countries to rescue our children and poor pregnant women," said Palestinian Health Minister Mr Reyadh al-Za'noun.
He blamed Israel's continued occupation of Palestinian areas for the "shocking results".
In contrast, Israeli Health Minister Mr Shlomo Benizri said: "They are suffering from malnutrition but at least they are still alive."
A day after 13 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks, Mr Benizri told Israeli television: "They brought economic hardship on themselves. They are holding a rifle and shooting at us, and when we come to strike them, they say, 'Wait, I'm holding a child in my arms'."
The malnutrition figures were significantly lower than those published last week by the Palestinian Statistics Bureau in a UNICEF-backed report that said one in two young Palestinian children suffered from chronic malnutrition.
This latest survey revealed shortages of high-protein food among wholesalers and retailers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. "Survey respondents indicated that shortages in Gaza were primarily due to border closures that seal the Gaza Strip off from Egypt, Israel and the West Bank," CARE said in a statement.
"In the West Bank, survey respondents said food shortages were caused by a combination of road closures, checkpoints, curfews and military conflict." Israel, battling a 22-month Palestinian uprising for independence, says blockades and curfews are necessary to stop suicide bombers from reaching its cities."
The survey canvassed 1,000 randomly selected households in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A more comprehensive report is slated for release in September.
A statement issued by the US embassy in response to the survey said Washington would "increase food and emergency health and nutrition assistance to the affected population".
Tens of thousands of Palestinian workers who once held jobs in Israel have been unemployed since the start of the uprising.
"Closure prevents food from coming and when it comes, people cannot get to the markets because of Israeli tanks," said Mr Za'noun.