Malnutrition in Gaza leaves 60,000 children at risk of serious complications

At least 60,000 children in Gaza are “at risk of serious health complications due to malnutrition,” as aid deliveries continue to be disallowed by Israel, the Palestinian health ministry said on Wednesday.

It warned that “the lack of adequate nutrition and drinking water will compound health challenges, with the continued ban on vaccinations for children, especially polio vaccinations”.

The ministry’s statements follow remarks by the United Nations chief, Antonio Guterres, in which he rejected on Tuesday Israel’s newly proposed mechanisms to control aid deliveries to Gaza. Guterres described Gaza as a “killing field”, which has been left without a drop of aid for months.

Since 2 March, no food or medical supplies have passed through to the enclave, where around 2.3 million people live. Israel has continued its aid blockade by sealing border crossings, forcing the closure of 21 nutrition centres and the discontinuation of medical treatment for about 350 severely malnourished children, as per UN figures.

“All basic supplies are running out,” said Juliette Touma from Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian aid. “It means babies, children are going to bed hungry. Every day without these basic supplies, Gaza inches closer towards very, very deep hunger.”