"UNRWA": One in Every 10 Children in Gaza Suffer from Malnutrition

SadaNews - The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) stated that one in every 10 children examined at its clinics in Gaza suffers from malnutrition.

Juliette Touma, the communication director at UNRWA, mentioned in a video call from the Jordanian capital Amman: "Our health teams confirm an increase in malnutrition rates in Gaza, especially since the tightening of the blockade more than four months ago on March 2."

She noted that UNRWA has examined over 240,000 children under the age of five in its clinics since January 2024, adding that monitoring of malnutrition in the Gaza Strip was rare before the war.

Touma added: "A nurse we spoke to said he had not known of malnutrition cases before through anything other than books and documentaries."

She affirmed that medicines, nutritional supplies, hygiene materials, and fuel are all running out quickly.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Monday that more than 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in Gaza last month, including over 1,000 children suffering from acute and severe malnutrition. This marks an increase recorded for the fourth consecutive month.

It is worth noting that medical sources in Gaza reported a few days ago that the number of children who have died due to malnutrition so far has reached 67, while more than 650,000 children under the age of five face a real and immediate risk of acute malnutrition in the coming weeks, among 1.1 million children in the sector.