Sand Meals in Gaza: A Child’s Game or a Cry for Help?

By Nour Mohamed

In a dusty corner of Gaza, surrounded with rubble, a group of children crouch on the ground, their small hands busy at work. They aren’t building sandcastles. They’re preparing dinner.

Using dry sand and bits of gravel, they shape falafel balls, roll out imaginary bread, and make chocolate cake. It might look like play, but it’s not. It’s survival through pretending, because their stomachs are empty.

“Here, eat this,” said Menna, a skinny 8-year-old,…