Child malnutrition in Gaza has reached devastating new levels, with one in five children in Gaza City now acutely malnourished as military operations force nutrition centers to close, UNICEF reported, according to a press release. Malnutrition rates across the Strip jumped to 13.5 percent of screened children in August from 8.3 percent in July, while Gaza City saw rates climb to 19 percent from 16 percent during the same period. The surge comes despite famine being officially declared in Gaza City last month and as evacuation orders shut down 10 treatment centers.
The numbers tell a grim story of deteriorating conditions for Gaza’s most vulnerable. In August, 12,800 children were identified as acutely malnourished, though fewer children could be screened overall due to closed facilities and restricted access from military activity. More alarming, severe acute malnutrition—the deadliest form—now affects 23 percent of children admitted for treatment, nearly double the 12 percent rate from six months earlier.
“In August, 1 in 5 children in Gaza City was diagnosed with acute malnutrition and in need of the life-saving nutritional support and treatment that UNICEF provides,” said Executive Director Catherine Russell.”With military escalation in Gaza City, around a dozen nutrition centres have been forced to close, leaving children even more vulnerable.”
UNICEF has managed to increase stocks of therapeutic food supplies, but critical nutrition items for infants and pregnant women remain insufficient. One in five babies in Gaza is now born premature or underweight.
UNICEF calls for immediate ceasefire, protection of civilian infrastructure including nutrition centers, and unimpeded humanitarian access to prevent further deterioration of child health across the territory.
