DaysofPal – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that the situation in Gaza has escalated to previously unheard-of levels due to the ongoing Israeli bombardment and the crippling blockade.
In a statement Thursday, UNICEF reported that the overall rate of acute malnutrition among children screened in Gaza climbed to 13.5% in August, compared to 8.3% in July, the sharpest increase recorded since the war began.
The situation in Gaza City, where famine has been officially declared, is even more alarming. Nearly one in five children (19%) were treated for acute malnutrition in August, 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 agency said.
The crisis is not limited to children. Pregnant and lactating women are also suffering severe nutritional deprivation, with health workers forced to scale back services. As a result, one in five newborns in Gaza is now born prematurely or underweight.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said that while some aid has managed to enter Gaza, relentless Israeli strikes have forced at least 10 nutrition centers to shut down, further limiting access to treatment.
“No child should suffer from preventable malnutrition, especially when we have the tools to treat it, as long as we can safely deliver aid,” Russell stressed.
According to official government and medical statistics, 411 Palestinians, including 142 children, have already died from malnutrition. An estimated 650,000 children remain at risk of death from hunger and food scarcity if urgent measures are not taken.
The situation is particularly devastating for infants. Around 40,000 babies under one-year-old face life-threatening conditions due to severe shortages of formula and milk caused by Israel’s continued blockade.
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