Gaza Medical Facility Reports First Fatal Cases of Child Hunger as Humanitarian Predicament Escalates
In the northern Gaza Strip, doctors at the Patients' Friends Hospital have reported an alarming increase in the deaths of children with no underlying health conditions last weekend [1]. This tragic development follows a severe and ongoing blockade imposed by Israel, which has drastically restricted the entry of food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip amidst the Israel-Hamas war.
The blockade, combined with heavy bombardment and displacement, has left the health sector overwhelmed and unable to meet the needs of thousands of children suffering from acute malnutrition [1][2][3]. The situation is so dire that Gaza's main paediatric emergency facility is now witnessing children dying from malnutrition for the first time [1][4].
Amnesty International has accused Israel of deliberately imposing conditions amounting to starvation on civilians in Gaza, evidence pointing to genocide [1]. The blockade and military actions have led to extreme food insecurity, deteriorating health conditions, and widespread malnutrition among children.
Gaza’s healthcare system is decimated and struggling under the volume of war injuries and the growing influx of malnourished infants and children. For example, a major hospital in Gaza City opened a pediatric malnutrition department in 2024, but by 2025, the situation worsened drastically with about 15% of screened children showing severe or moderate malnutrition [1].
UN agencies report that humanitarian supplies, including food and medicines, have been blocked for months despite thousands of aid trucks waiting in neighboring countries. This lack of sustained humanitarian aid prevents effective treatment of malnutrition and exacerbates child mortality [2][3]. Nearly 900 Gazans have been killed in recent weeks attempting to obtain food aid at private hubs, underscoring the desperation and extreme conditions creating barriers to feeding children and families [2].
The United Nations has reported similar figures, with 21 children under the age of five having died of malnutrition-related causes so far this year [5]. The World Food Programme estimates that nearly 100,000 women and children in Gaza urgently require treatment for malnutrition [6].
In addition to the blockade, allegations of looting of aid for war profiteering by Hamas have surfaced, which the militant group denies [7]. The US negotiators cut short Gaza ceasefire talks, accusing Hamas of lacking 'good faith' [8]. Speaking at a Security Council meeting, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres described the situation in Gaza as a "horror show, with a level of death and destruction without parallel in recent times." [9]
The deaths mark a grim escalation in the territory's humanitarian aid crisis, according to hospital staff. As of now, at least 48 people, including 20 children and 28 adults, have died of causes linked to malnutrition in the past three weeks alone [10]. In comparison, only 10 child deaths from hunger were reported in the first five months of 2025.
References:
- Al Jazeera
- The Guardian
- Reuters
- UNRWA
- UNICEF
- WFP
- BBC
- Reuters
- UN
- Gaza Health Ministry
- The worsening health and wellness of thousands of children in Gaza, including those with malnutrition, is a direct consequence of the ongoing political tensions and war-induced crisis, as well as the blockade that restricts access to food, medical supplies, and humanitarian aid.
- The severe malnutrition prevalent among children in Gaza is not only a result of the environmental conditions caused by war and conflicts but also due to the political wrangling, with allegations of looting of aid by the militant group Hamas impeding the flow of needed supplies.
- When it comes to the crisis in Gaza, there is widespread agreement among international organizations and journalists that the situation regarding chronic diseases, medical conditions, and health and wellness is catastrophic, with children dying as a result of malnutrition for the first time in recent history.
- Despite repeated attempts at diplomacy, ongoing political disputes, coupled with a lack of fitness and exercise opportunities for children due to the volatile and dangerous environment, nutrition difficulties, and a depleted healthcare system in Gaza have resulted in a surge in chronic diseases, malnutrition, and child mortality.
