NEW YORK: Since the beginning of this year, nearly 15,000 children in Gaza have been diagnosed with acute malnutrition, according to the United Nations. The UN’s humanitarian office, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), reported that out of 239,580 children examined since mid-January, 14,750 were diagnosed with malnutrition, affecting those aged six months to just under five years. This includes 3,288 cases of severe acute malnutrition.
Dr. Hossam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, stated, “We have counted nearly 5,000 children so far, with one-third showing symptoms of malnutrition.” He noted that a quarter of these cases were not sent to intensive care as they were classified as “malnutrition with complications.” These cases are currently being treated in the hospital’s malnutrition treatment department, supported by the UN’s World Health Organization (WHO).
Abu Safiya warned that the increasing number of complicated cases represents a critical stage that could precede death. Kamal Adwan Hospital, located in northern Gaza, is one of only four facilities in the region specializing in malnutrition treatment, as reported by the UN’s news service.
The situation in Gaza has been exacerbated by attacks on hospitals, ambulances, places of worship, and homes amid Israel’s ongoing war on the territory. The longstanding Israeli blockade on Gaza has intensified since the outbreak of the conflict, with only limited aid allowed in. This has severely strained the food system and worsened humanitarian conditions, pushing the territory to the brink of famine.
The Israeli war on the strip has so far killed at least 40,405 individuals, according to the Gaza health ministry. South Africa has taken Israel to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the UN’s top tribunal, accusing it of committing genocide.
