The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has revealed that one in every three children under the age of two in northern Gaza is suffering from severe malnutrition due to restrictions on aid delivery.
The UN agency stated in a press release received by Shia Waves Agency that “malnutrition among children is spreading rapidly and reaching devastating and unprecedented levels in the Gaza Strip, due to the widespread impact of war and ongoing restrictions on aid delivery.”
It pointed out that “at least 23 children have died in northern Gaza in recent weeks due to malnutrition and drought.”
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said, “The speed at which this catastrophic malnutrition crisis has developed in Gaza is shocking, especially when much-needed aid is ready just a few miles away.”
Russell added, “We have repeatedly tried to provide additional assistance and have called for addressing the access challenges we have faced for months.”
UNICEF screenings conducted for the first time in Khan Younis, in the central area of Gaza, showed that “28% of children under the age of two are suffering from severe malnutrition, with over 10% of them experiencing severe emaciation.”
For the 161st day, the Israeli occupation has continued its aggression on Gaza since October 7th, where its aircraft bomb hospitals, buildings, towers, and homes of Palestinian civilians, and preventing the entry of water, food, medicine, and fuel.
