Kelly Joins Gallego, Democratic Colleagues to Call for Surge of Infant Formula into Gaza
Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) called on the Trump administration to use its full power and authority to demand that Israeli government immediately facilitate a massive surge of ready-to-feed infant formula into Gaza.
At least 85 children have died of hunger-related causes, and more than 20,000 children have been treated for malnutrition in Gaza since April. Infants are especially vulnerable to death by starvation as the Israeli military’s restrictions on humanitarian aid have created a catastrophic shortage of baby formula. Additionally, widespread famine means mothers do not have the basic nutrition required to sustain breastfeeding, rendering formula the only option for infant survival in many cases.
“We write to you today with urgency about the grave crisis that infants in Gaza face as a result of severe restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid,” the senators wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “We therefore urge you to demand that the Israeli government immediately facilitate a massive surge of humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, including but not limited to baby formula and medical equipment required to treat infant and child malnourishment.”
Between March 2 and May 19, the Netanyahu government blocked all humanitarian aid into Gaza. It has since instituted a new distribution system, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which does not include baby formula. According to the Israeli government’s own data, the GHF has delivered only a tiny fraction of the aid previously distributed under the U.N.-coordinated system, while average daily truck entries remain far below the 500–600 trucks the U.N. says are required to meet humanitarian needs.
The senators ask that the Trump administration demand that Israel reopen all crossing points for humanitarian aid, vastly scale up the amount of aid allowed in, and expand access for international organizations to safely deliver aid.
“We appeal to you not only in your capacity as a government official but as a parent. No child should face the desperation and suffering we are witnessing in Gaza in real time and our hearts break for the children killed in Israel and Gaza,” the senators concluded. “We must use our leverage to ensure the most vulnerable are protected and we implore you to take these steps to save innocent lives.”
Kelly has been leading efforts to address the hunger crisis in Gaza and ensure lifesaving aid reaches families. He continues to work with World Food Program (WFP) Executive Director Cindy McCain and is pushing to send millions of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) packets currently sitting in U.S. warehouses out to Gaza.
Read the full letter here.
