A senior United Nations official has sounded the alarm over the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, warning that widespread malnutrition among pregnant women and infants could have lasting, “generational” consequences.
Andrew Saberton, Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), described the scale of devastation following his recent visit to the enclave as “like the set of a dystopian film.”
He urged an immediate and massive increase in humanitarian aid to prevent irreversible health impacts on mothers and newborns.
According to Saberton, a quarter of Gaza’s population is now facing starvation, including an estimated 11,500 pregnant women.
“Starvation is particularly catastrophic for both mother and newborn,” he said.
UNFPA data indicates a sharp rise in adverse birth outcomes, with roughly 70 percent of babies now born premature or underweight, a dramatic increase from 20 percent before Israel’s war on Gaza began.
Saberton emphasized that the long-term effects of malnutrition in early life could hinder physical and cognitive development for an entire generation, calling for sustained international action to address the crisis.
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