Deadly malnutrition among children in Gaza is reaching catastrophic level: UN

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The UN warned Wednesday that children in the Gaza Strip are facing "catastrophic" levels of hunger and malnutrition as Israeli authorities continue to restrict aid deliveries into the besieged enclave.

"Deadly malnutrition among children is reaching catastrophic level," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told a news conference, adding that "UNICEF reminds us that a severely malnourished child is over 10 times more likely to die than a well-nourished child."

Dujarric stressed that UN humanitarian operations in Gaza are under "severe strain," with aid workers facing security risks, blocked border crossings, and critical supplies delayed or denied entry.

"We stand ready to seize the opportunity of a ceasefire to significantly scale up humanitarian operations across the Gaza Strip," he said, adding that "Israel must enable safe and unimpeded aid delivery, allow the entry of critical equipment and fuel" in order to "make a real difference" on the ground.

Urging to "open all crossings and restore movement along key supply routes," Dujarric also cited the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and said: "We and our partners report that aid workers are fainting from hunger and exhaustion."

"Mass starvation is spreading across the Gaza Strip with colleagues and those they serve wasting away,” Dujarric warned.

He also conveyed the UN Population Fund's warning over a growing health crisis for pregnant women and newborns in Gaza, citing a collapse in medical care and a sharp rise in maternal deaths.

"From January to June of this year, births sharply declined, and 220 mothers died, more than 20 times the total number of maternal deaths recorded in 2022," he said. “At least 20 newborns died within 24 hours of birth, and a third of babies were born prematurely underweight or required admissions to neonatal intensive care."

Dujarric stressed that while humanitarian workers continue delivering life-saving assistance, Israeli control over aid entry remains a major obstacle.

"The amount of aid that has been entering Gaza is only a trickle compared to the immense needs," he said.

He reiterated the UN's call for an immediate ceasefire, adding: "Above all, we need a ceasefire to put an end to this devastating situation."

On Israel's revocation of the visa of the director of the OCHA in the occupied Palestinian territories, Dujarric expressed "full confidence" in the agency's work, stressing that "any punitive measures will only add to the obstacles preventing us from reaching people facing hunger, displacement and deprivation."