UNRWA: Child malnutrition in Gaza worsens while humanitarian aid remains blocked

Published at: 24/07/2025 03:27 PM

The Commissioner General of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Middle East (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, warned that one in five children in Gaza is malnourished, and the number of cases is increasing daily.

“They are neither alive nor dead, they are walking corpses,” he said.

Lazzarini noted that many of the children observed by UNRWA staff were in an extremely deteriorated state and, without medical attention, were at high risk of death.

Meanwhile, 6,000 trucks loaded with food and medical supplies are being held up in Jordan and Egypt, according to a report from Prensa Latina.

UNRWA data show that severe acute malnutrition among children in Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis increased from 2.4% to 9% between February and July. In Gaza City, the rate rose to 16%.

According to the UN, the 2.1 million people trapped in Gaza face an additional threat of armed conflict: hunger.

For its part, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported heavy bombing by Israeli forces throughout the Gaza Strip and also documented the disappearance of children at distribution points controlled by the military.

Mazo News Team