AhlulBayt News Agency: The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has issued a warning about a sharp increase in child malnutrition across the Gaza Strip, citing alarming new data from August.
In its press release, UNICEF reported that the rate of acute malnutrition among children screened in Gaza rose to 13.5% in August, a significant jump from 8.3% in July.
Conditions in Gaza City are even more severe, where famine has been officially declared. In August, 19% of children were treated for acute malnutrition, up from 16% the previous month.
“One in five children in Gaza City was diagnosed with acute malnutrition in August and needed life-saving nutritional support from UNICEF,” the organization stated.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell noted that while additional aid supplies have reached Gaza, ongoing Israeli attacks have forced the closure of around 10 nutrition centers, increasing risks for vulnerable children.
She stressed the urgent need to safeguard nutritional services throughout Gaza, saying, “No child should suffer from preventable malnutrition, especially when we have the tools to treat it, as long as we can safely deliver aid.”
According to official government and medical sources, 411 people have died from malnutrition in Gaza, including 142 children. An estimated 650,000 children are currently at risk due to hunger and food shortages.
The situation is particularly dire for infants: 40,000 babies under one year old face life-threatening conditions due to the lack of baby formula and milk, exacerbated by Israel’s ongoing blockade.
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