At least 60,000 children in the Gaza Strip are at grave risk of health complications due to acute malnutrition, warned Gaza’s Ministry of Health, as Israel’s blockade continues to choke humanitarian aid.
The alarming statement came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rejected an Israeli proposal to monitor aid deliveries, condemning it as an attempt to “limit aid down to the last calorie and grain of flour.”
Since March 2, no humanitarian convoys have entered Gaza. The ongoing siege has halted food, medicine, water, and fuel deliveries to the enclave’s 2.3 million residents. The UN reports that 21 nutrition centers have shut down, disrupting treatment for hundreds of severely malnourished children.
The World Food Programme echoed the concern, saying it has been unable to bring new supplies into Gaza for over three weeks. Existing stocks can only support operations for two more weeks, putting hundreds of thousands at risk of extreme hunger.
Meanwhile, Gaza’s children are also being denied essential vaccines, including polio shots, worsening the health crisis. UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma warned, “Babies are going to bed hungry. Every passing day is a step closer to mass starvation.”
In another blow, Israel’s Mekorot company cut off 70% of Gaza’s water supply. The pipeline, serving areas under heavy bombardment, has reportedly been damaged. Gaza officials say unless restored, the enclave will plunge into a catastrophic water crisis.