Since October 2023, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. Photo courtesy of WHO

A comprehensive analysis by the Global Nutrition Cluster highlights a steep rise in malnutrition among children and pregnant and breastfeeding women in the Gaza Strip, posing grave threats to their health. The ongoing conflict, now entering its 20th week, has led to a scarcity of food and safe water, resulting in a surge of acute malnutrition and an alarming increase in diseases.

The report, titled "Nutrition Vulnerability and Situation Analysis - Gaza," reveals that the Northern Gaza Strip, almost completely cut off from aid for weeks, is facing an extreme situation. Nutrition screenings indicate that 15.6% of children under 2 years old are acutely malnourished, with nearly 3% suffering from severe wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition.

In the Southern Gaza Strip, where aid has been more accessible, 5% of children under 2 years are acutely malnourished, emphasizing the crucial role of humanitarian aid in preventing the worst outcomes.

UNICEF Deputy Executive Director for Humanitarian Action and Supply Operations, Ted Chaiban, warns of an impending explosion in preventable child deaths, urging an immediate end to the conflict to avert a nutrition crisis with potential intergenerational consequences.

Before the conflict, wasting in the Gaza Strip was rare, with only 0.8% of children under 5 acutely malnourished. The rapid increase to 15.6% in three months is unprecedented globally.

The lack of food, water, and health services across the Gaza Strip poses a high risk of further malnutrition. Shockingly, 90% of children under 2 and 95% of pregnant and breastfeeding women face severe food poverty, while households report limiting meals and portion sizes, with over 95% restricting the amount of food adults receive to ensure small children have enough.

Valerie Guarnieri, WFP Assistant Executive Director for Programme Operations, emphasizes the need for decisive improvements in security and humanitarian access, calling for additional entry points for aid to enter Gaza.

Inadequate safe drinking water compounds the crisis, with households having access to less than one litre per person per day, well below humanitarian standards. The report indicates a dramatic increase in infectious diseases among children, with at least 90% affected, and a 23-fold rise in diarrhea cases compared to the 2022 baseline.

Dr. Mike Ryan, Executive Director of WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme, describes the deadly combination of hunger and disease, stressing the urgent need for humanitarian assistance to prevent further deterioration.

UNICEF, WFP, and WHO jointly call for safe, unimpeded, and sustained access to urgently deliver multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance throughout the Gaza Strip. This includes nutritious foods, essential services for malnourished individuals, and protection for hospitals and health workers.