UN Reports Acute Malnutrition Triples Among Gaza Children Amid Aid Blockade

The United Nations and humanitarian organizations have reported a sharp rise in acute malnutrition among children under five in Gaza, with rates nearly tripling since the ceasefire earlier this year. In the latter half of May, approximately 5.8% of nearly 50,000 screened children were diagnosed with acute malnutrition, up from 4.7% earlier that month and triple the rate in February. Severe acute malnutrition cases, which require hospitalization, have also increased significantly, yet Gaza has only four operational medical centers to treat such cases, as many others have been forced to close due to ongoing conflict and supply shortages. The worsening health crisis is compounded by an 11-week Israeli blockade restricting aid deliveries after the ceasefire collapsed, although Israel partially lifted the blockade later while accusing Hamas of aid diversion, a claim Hamas denies. The World Health Organization has warned that Gaza's health system is collapsing, with starvation-related deaths reported among children and the elderly, emphasizing the urgent need for unimpeded humanitarian access and protection of aid workers. This situation reflects a deepening humanitarian crisis with severe consequences for Gaza's vulnerable population, particularly young children and nursing mothers.