Gaza, MINA – More than 5,800 children in Gaza were diagnosed with malnutrition in June alone, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced on Sunday, warning of a rapidly worsening crisis among the enclave’s youngest residents.
“Child malnutrition in Gaza is rising fast,” UNICEF said in a statement, as cited by Anadolu Agency. According to the agency, at least 5,870 children were hospitalized for urgent treatment in June, including more than 1,000 cases of severe malnutrition. This marks the fourth consecutive month of increase.
UNICEF reported that 2,068 children were hospitalized for acute malnutrition in February, followed by 3,259 in March, 3,444 in April, and 5,514 in May.
“Children’s bodies are wasting away. This is not just a nutrition crisis. It’s a child survival emergency,” the agency stressed.
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UNICEF called for an immediate and large-scale delivery of humanitarian aid as well as a lasting ceasefire to save children’s lives.
According to Palestinian figures, at least 67 children have died of hunger in Gaza since October 2023.
Israel has kept Gaza’s border crossings closed to food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid since March 2, further worsening the humanitarian crisis affecting the enclave’s 2.4 million residents. The blockade has pushed Gaza into famine conditions, with increasing reports of deaths due to hunger.
Rejecting international calls for a ceasefire, the Israeli army has continued its offensive on Gaza since October 7, 2023, killing over 58,000 Palestinians so far, most of them women and children. The relentless bombardment has devastated the enclave and caused severe food shortages and widespread disease. []
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