As the Israeli siege continuous on Gaza strip young boys like ” Yassine 7 years- old and his brother “Turki” few days old, are still suffering from the absence of their therapeutic milk which is urgently needed to grow normally without any mental retardation or behavioral disorders such as depression, aggression, involuntary movements and other mental illnesses. Yassine and Turki two brothers suffering from PKU; a rare genetic disease that leads to an imbalance in the digestion of an amino acid called phenylalanine. Due to this disease, sick babies cannot breastfeed natural milk because it causes severe mental retardation. eleven babies born annually out of a total of 232 cases registered in Gaza strip Ministry of health among them 37 children under the age of (3) years-old, and (23) children between the ages of (3-5) years, who need this special milk that does not contain phenylalanine to grow normally. The absence of this milk will result in mental retardation and permanent disability. After the first six months of a baby’s life, he begins to eat other foods that do not contain phenylalanine.
Director of Child Health Department, Ministry of Health Dr. Maha al – Amami said “the disease is chronic, and families should provide adequate alternative food such as fruits and vegetables permanently. She added PKU milk is currently not available in the market, not to mention its expensive price. The Ministry of Health has issued several appeals to obtain this special therapeutic milk for these children. Each baby needs about 4-6 packs per month.