“Several Twitter users are now sharing a picture of a very sick child that allegedly shows widespread starvation in Gaza. Is that right?” writes a viewer to the Verification Help.
It was when Magnus Walan, senior policy advisor at the Christian non-profit organization Diakonia, shared the photo of X that the fake allegations started pouring in.
“Why do you spread lies and propaganda?” says one of the most viewed comments.
Unfounded claim: Muscle disease
Instead, it is alleged that the girl suffers from a muscle disease.
But that explanation is rejected by Johan von Schreeb, professor of global disaster medicine at the Karolinska Institutet.
– The child is undoubtedly malnourished, he says. Malnutrition not only causes muscles to shrink, the child also loses all subcutaneous fat as in the picture.
He is supported by his research colleague Anneli Eriksson, who worked with malnutrition in a project with Doctors Without Borders.
– Looks like a typical photo of a child with marasmus, i.e. severe acute malnutrition without edema.
“Cynical to say the least”
Some comments point out that the second child in the picture looks of normal weight. They conclude that the food shortage is therefore exaggerated.
The reasoning is cynical, thinks Anneli Eriksson.
She explains that malnutrition usually has several causes. An example is infections.
Lack of food leads to a weakened immune system, which increases the risk of infections, which in turn reduces appetite.
– Often this becomes a vicious circle which, if allowed to continue, leads to death.
– If all children are to be acutely malnourished before a famine situation is declared, we would be in a terrible situation with an enormously high mortality rate. So the reasoning in the comments is cynical to say the least, says Anneli Eriksson.
Famine warning
The situation in Gaza is not currently classified as a famine, according to the measurement tool IPC. Because it requires that 30 percent of the children have acute malnutrition.
However, they warn of the food shortage that risks leading there.
Slow bureaucracy, lack of access and looting are some of the factors that mean aid shipments do not reach everyone in Gaza, the UN’s food program has previously told SVT.
SVT has been in contact with the girl’s mother, who says that the daughter is doing relatively well today. The family does not want to participate in a new filmed interview.
How do we know the picture is from Gaza and who does it show? See our survey in the clip.