Haaretz : The United Nations- The humanitarian situation in Gaza is the worst since the beginning of the war; thousands of children are suffering from severe malnutrition

A statement released by the United Nations, based on a survey conducted by humanitarian organizations, revealed alarming figures: among 91,769 children examined in hospitals across the Gaza Strip in March, 3,696 were suffering from acute malnutrition—approximately 4%. This marks a sharp rise compared to February, when 2,027 out of 83,823 children examined were diagnosed, representing about 2.5%. In other words, this reflects a 60% increase. The situation has likely deteriorated further in April, as around 60% of malnutrition treatment centers were forced to shut down due to Israeli evacuation orders or direct attacks on surrounding areas.

Access to essential nutrition has also plummeted. The number of children receiving vital nutritional supplements dropped by approximately 70% in March, largely due to Israeli-imposed restrictions and the collapse of humanitarian access routes.

Roughly two weeks ago, the UN World Food Programme was forced to suspend operations at its subsidized bakeries—a vital lifeline for Gaza’s besieged population—due to Israel’s obstruction of flour and cooking gas supplies. Since then, residents have largely relied on around one million hot meals distributed daily by 175 community kitchens. These meals, typically consisting of a small portion of rice with lentils, chickpeas, or beans, have become the primary source of nourishment for thousands of displaced families. However, the UN emphasized that such meals fall woefully short of meeting basic nutritional standards, especially for children. Fresh food such as meat, dairy, vegetables, and fruit is nearly nonexistent due to the blockade and systematic destruction of Gaza’s food systems.

In northern Gaza, limited supplies of locally produced meat and eggs remain, but their prices are far beyond what most families can afford.

In a joint warning issued this week, two leading global experts in mortality and humanitarian crises cautioned of an imminent and rapid collapse in public health across Gaza. Professor Alex de Waal (Tufts University, USA) and Professor Michael Spagat (University of London, UK) noted that Gaza’s healthcare system—once among the strongest in the region with high vaccination rates—has been systematically dismantled since the beginning of Israel’s war on Gaza. As a result, although the rate of excess deaths during the first year of aggression was initially lower than predicted, the complete breakdown of infrastructure now threatens mass fatalities from hunger, disease, and untreated injuries.

Both experts stressed that the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is not the result of natural disaster or internal collapse, but rather a man-made crisis resulting from the Israeli siege, military bombardment, and deliberate targeting of vital civilian infrastructure.