Child malnutrition rates on the rise in Gaza, according to UNICEF reports
The state of affairs in Gaza is a bleak one, with children bearing the brunt of the hardships. According to UNICEF, the situation is rapidly deteriorating due to malnutrition and poor sanitary conditions. The last month has seen a staggering increase in malnourished children, with a 50% surge in the number of children aged six months to five years requiring treatment in May. The agency reported that 636 infants were grappling with severe acute malnutrition, a life-threatening condition requesting immediate intervention. In the first five months of the year, over 16,000 children in Gaza sought treatment for malnutrition, translating to approximately 112 children each day [1][2].
UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, Edouard Beigbeder, expressed his concern, stating that the malnutrition issue is a ticking time bomb. "Severely malnourished children are extremely susceptible to deadly illnesses like acute diarrhea. The cycle of malnutrition and illness further perpetuates their health crisis," he explained [3].
The dire situation in Gaza has been exacerbated by limited access to clean water, medical care, and treatment options. UNICEF has repeatedly called on all parties involved in the conflict to end the violence, protect civilians, especially children, respect international humanitarian law, facilitate immediate humanitarian aid delivery, and release all captives in Israel [4].
The conflict originated in October 2023 when Hamas and other Islamic extremists launched attacks on Israel, resulting in around 1,200 fatalities and the capture of over 250 individuals by Hamas [5]. The Israeli military has since been engaged in combat with Hamas.
In an attempt to address this crisis, international organizations like UNICEF, Doctors of the World, and other humanitarian partners are engaging in emergency nutrition treatment and humanitarian aid interventions. However, blockades, conflict, and restricted access continue to hamper these efforts, resulting in a precarious and worsening situation for children [1][2][4].
Healthcare facilities in Gaza are struggling with critical shortages of food and medical supplies, severely limiting their treatment capacity [2]. Experts and humanitarian workers stress that waiting for official famine declarations is too late, as children are already dying from malnutrition and hunger-related causes [2]. Urgent calls for ceasefires and unhindered humanitarian access have been raised to prevent further child fatalities and suffering [2][3].
The time for action is now, and immediate and unrestricted humanitarian intervention is crucial to curb this crisis and save the lives of these vulnerable children.
Sources
- https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/26/acute-malnutrition-surges-among-children-in-gaza-strip
- https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gaza-blockade-exacerbates-malnutrition-aid-workers-say-2025-06-01/
- https://www.unicef.org/mena/media/19824
- https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=63608#:~:text=UNICEF%20and%20partners%20are%20striving%20to,children%20and%20their%20families%20impacted%20by%20the%20crisis
- https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-56476238
- Amidst the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, international organizations like UNICEF and Doctors of the World are focusing on emergency nutrition treatment and humanitarian aid interventions, aiming to combat the alarming surge in malnourished children.
- In light of the dire health-and-wellness situation in Gaza, experts and humanitarian workers are urging immediate, unrestricted action to address malnutrition, as children are already dying from consequences related to malnutrition, before official famine declarations are made.
