Pediatrician Ahmmed Al-Farra and a 6-month old baby he is trying to save

Dr. Al-Farra is head of pediatrics and maternity in Gaza's Nasser Medical Complex. He says there are no functioning hospitals in the northern part of the Gaza strip, and his hospital has repeatedly been bombed. 

“We're seeing children with marasmus -- skin and bone," he said. "Some are just 40% of their expected weight. Severe malnutrition, no protein, no vitamins."

Marasmus is a form of severe malnutrition.

Siwar Ashour, a child in Gaza, was born small, but was a relatively healthy baby six months ago, according to Al-Farra.

But today, she is acutely malnourished and fighting for her life in the Nasser Hospital. She is bound in plastic because she has lost so much weight that he can no longer regulate her body temperature. Six months old, she weighs just over 7 pounds. That is less than half the weight of an average American baby girl, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

"If she does not take the suitable formula of milk, unfortunately, she will not survive," Al-Farra said.

More information: ABC News