Summary
- Nearly 12,000 Gaza children under five are
malnourished.
- WHO warns of worsening hunger-related deaths.
- Ongoing conflict and aid restrictions worsen the
situation.
- Urges immediate, large-scale nutrition supply
intervention.
- Calls to prevent further humanitarian deterioration.
According to the World Health Organization's Director General, the number of hunger-related deaths in Gaza is increasing, and approximately 12,000 children under five are experiencing acute malnutrition.
"In July, nearly 12,000 children under five years were identified as having acute malnutrition in Gaza, the highest monthly figure ever recorded,"
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at his
organisation's headquarters in Geneva.
Between the beginning of this year and July 29,
at least 99 people have died, including 64 adults and 35 children, 29 of whom were under the
age of five.
According to the most recent UNICEF data
available, the number of admissions for malnutrition quadrupled between June
and July, going from 6,344 to 11,877.
Of those children, about 2,500 are severely
malnourished.
Tedros demanded increased amounts of ongoing
assistance through all available channels.
Although the WHO claimed to be helping Gaza's four malnutrition centers, there was a severe shortage of baby formula and wholesome food supplies.
"The overall volume of nutrition supplies remains completely insufficient to prevent further deterioration. The market needs to be flooded. There needs to be dietary diversity,"
said Rik
Peeperkorn, WHO's representative for the occupied Palestinian Territory, via
video link.
A famine scenario is developing in the Gaza
Strip, according to a worldwide hunger monitor, with starvation spreading,
children dying from food-related causes, and severely limited humanitarian
access to the beleaguered enclave.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination
of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), food consumption in Gaza has decreased to its
lowest level since the conflict began.
In the small, densely populated coastal region of 2.2 million people, 81 percent of households reported eating poorly, compared to 33 percent in April.
What impact might large-scale aid diversion have on child malnutrition in Gaza?
With fewer aid resources reaching children,
rates of acute malnutrition rise sharply. The UN and WHO report that nearly
12,000 children were diagnosed with acute malnutrition in recent months, with
many succumbing to starvation-related complications.
Aid diversion reduces therapeutic feeding
availability and infant formula, pushing more children towards severe wasting
and death.
Malnutrition during early childhood can cause
long-term harm to growth, cognitive development, and immune function. Experts warn
that without continuous and sufficient supplies of food and nutrients, some of
the damage to Gaza’s children may become permanent.