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In remote Indian villages, malnourished infants suffer because of the Iran War

51 0
25.03.2026

Over the past month, while my family and friends in Israel have been enduring endless missiles, sirens, and long hours in safe rooms, I have been far from home. I have been in Mokhada, a remote tribal region about four hours north of Mumbai, India, where I work with Gabriel Project Mumbai, an organization that provides nutrition, education, livelihood and healthcare programs for communities living in extreme poverty. I was supposed to fly home on March 1, but the war with Iran disrupted flights and left me stranded here.

During this difficult time, I have worried constantly about my family living under attack. Yet while I was physically far from the rockets, I began to realize that I was not far from the war at all. To my surprise and dismay, I discovered that this conflict is affecting people who are so far removed from Iran, Israel, and American politics that one would think they would be insulated from its consequences.

I think about children like three-year-old Subash, from the Sartuli village who was born full-term weighing only 1.1 kilograms. His life has been one health struggle after another, and he is part of Gabriel Project Mumbai’s malnutrition intervention program. His supply of nutritious food is now at risk because of the war with Iran.

War is often understood through the images that dominate the news – missiles, soldiers, destroyed buildings, and speeches by politicians. Yet the true reach of war extends far beyond the battlefield. Conflicts thousands of miles away can quietly disrupt the lives of the most vulnerable people in the world – people who have no connection to the conflict itself. The current war involving Iran is one such example. While the fighting is taking place in the Middle East, its........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)