DayofPal– The United Nations has reported a dramatic 80% rise in malnutrition cases among children in Gaza in April, as Israel’s ongoing blockade and closure of border crossings continue to choke humanitarian access and escalate the territory’s health crisis.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 92% of children between six months and two years old, along with their mothers, are not receiving the minimum required nutrition.
Additionally, 65% of Gaza’s population lacks access to clean drinking water, further compounding the health emergency.
Gaza’s Government Media Office accused Israel of systematically using hunger and thirst as weapons of war, asserting that over 65,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition out of 1.1 million facing daily food insecurity.
“The continuous closure of border crossings has caused a catastrophic deterioration in health conditions, especially among children and infants,” the Office said, placing full responsibility on Israel for the worsening humanitarian crisis.
Since March 2, Israel has kept Gaza’s main crossings closed, preventing the entry of essential food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid. Human rights organizations have condemned the blockade, calling it a clear violation of international law and accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war.
Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, violating a ceasefire agreement. Since then, over 2,200 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been killed, and more than 5,700 injured, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
Dr. Marwan Al-Hams, director of field hospitals for the ministry, confirmed that at least 32 children died from exposure to cold in recent months, while others succumbed to severe malnutrition and disease caused by inadequate food supplies.
He also warned that preservatives in donated canned foods have contributed to illness and, in some cases, death.
Health conditions have been further exacerbated by the denial of critical vaccines. Despite 622 reported cases of polio among children under 10, Israeli authorities have blocked polio vaccines from entering Gaza.
Dr. Al-Hams warned that without immediate intervention, the outbreak could spread beyond Gaza to the West Bank, Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon.
Overcrowding among displaced families has fueled outbreaks of diarrhea and hepatitis. Nearly 300,000 people from Rafah have sought shelter in Khan Younis, while many in northern Gaza have been forced to flee to Gaza City.
With little access to clean water and adequate food, public health officials say controlling disease has become impossible.
Gaza’s water and sanitation systems have also collapsed. Israeli forces have destroyed more than 60,000 water lines and six wastewater treatment plants, rendering municipalities unable to maintain basic services due to severe fuel shortages.
During the invasion of Khan Younis, Israeli troops reportedly targeted water infrastructure, sewage trucks, and pumping stations, crippling the city’s ability to respond to the public health disaster.
Municipal officials now warn that without immediate international intervention to restore access to food, water, medicine, and fuel, Gaza faces an even deeper humanitarian catastrophe.
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