Review Of Megan K. Stack Starvation Is Stalking Gaza's Children

The opinion piece I will be critiquing is, “Starvation is Stalking Gaza’s Children” written by Megan K. Stack. This article highlights the ongoing struggles the Palestinian people are facing due to the current Israel-Hamas War, not only has this war brought upon a devastating loss of life due to casualties, but there has also been a plethora of children dying due to limited or no access to food. Stack is sure to make the distinction that children are not struggling due to a natural disaster or drought, their hunger is the result of a man-made catastrophe. “Starvation is Stalking Gaza’s Children” is an opinion piece that paints a rather grim picture of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, particularly focusing on how this has affected children.

Stacks begins the entire article with a recount of tragic deaths of infants facing malnutrition, she begins, “Standing over a tiny bundle wrapped in a sheet on a hospital bed, a young father drapes his hand across his face in despair.” (Stack) She goes on to take quotes from staff members and paramedics who have seen these deaths themselves. This article effectively conveys the toll a crisis of this size takes on the humans directly affected, not only does this invoke empathy among the readers but it also serves to underscore the urgency of the situation and especially emphasizes the immediate need for action; both of which compel the reader to confront this current catastrophe. Moreover, the article also provides ample context by discussing the political dynamics of this conflict. Stack does this by highlighting the role Israeli policies such as restrictions on food aid as well as the blockade have impacted the health and nutrition of Gaza’s population. This was a method that allowed the author to highlight the man-made nature of this crisis. However, while the article focuses on the Israeli policies as a primary factor contributing to the crisis, I believe that a wider-lensed analysis could help the reader grasp a better understanding of the economic, political, and social factors that are also shaping the situation in Gaza. In addition to critiquing Israeli policies, Stack also raised important questions about the international response to the crisis, more specifically the response from the United States. Stack goes on to emphasize the failure of the Biden administration to address the humanitarian crisis as well as its decision to withhold funding from the UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) “...the Biden administration shares moral responsibility. Just when the spiraling humanitarian crisis should have