Severe Child Malnutrition, Aid Shortages Persist in Gaza Amid Israeli Blockade
Severe Child Malnutrition, Aid Shortages Persist in Gaza Amid Israeli Blockade
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Nearly 19,000 hospitalized children in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition since the start of 2025, Muslim Mirror reported citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In early June alone, over 1,600 children were admitted to hospitals, with 17 facing serious complications. OCHA emphasized that current aid deliveries are critically insufficient to meet the needs of Gaza’s population, which continues to endure high levels of food insecurity.
The Palestinian Health Ministry has warned that shortages of baby formula threaten the lives of premature babies and newborns. An Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report also cautioned that over a quarter of Gaza’s civilians risk facing catastrophic food insecurity in the coming months.
Despite nearly three months of blockade and ongoing bombings, only limited humanitarian aid has been allowed into Gaza. The UN confirmed that Israel continues to block food supplies, with only a few aid trucks entering the territory. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), supported by the US and Israel, has faced criticism for allegedly delivering aid selectively to South and Central Gaza, raising concerns about violations of humanitarian principles.
Doctors Without Borders (MSF) condemned the “weaponization of aid,” highlighting the daily dangers Palestinians face when trying to access scarce supplies. UNRWA Commissioner Philippe Lazzarini reported that Israeli forces have routinely shot and killed Palestinians attempting to collect aid.
