GAZA, (PIC)
The Gaza Center for Human Rights (GCHR) said that the Gaza Strip is witnessing an acute outbreak of malnutrition among children under the age of five, in an indication of an unprecedented deterioration in the humanitarian situation due to the continued Israeli restrictions on the entry of basic food items and the deterioration of health services, after more than 30 months since the start of the Israeli military aggression.
The center pointed out in a statement on Wednesday that more than 71,000 children under the age of five face the risk of acute malnutrition during 2026, at a time when aid flows decreased by 37% between the first and second ceasefire periods, according to the latest reports of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
It pointed to a decrease in aid from more than 167,600 metric tons during the first three months to less than 105,000 metric tons between January and April 2026, confirming that this decline is due to Israeli restrictions on the movement of transporting goods and aid, and the high rates of returning trucks, in addition to technical malfunctions in inspection devices, which led to a tangible erosion in food and fuel reserves inside the Strip.
GCHR warned that more than 13,000 children suffer from a very dangerous situation as a result of acute malnutrition, and they need intensive treatment and immediate therapeutic food to avoid death or long-term health effects.
It said that children are the group most affected by the conflict, and that the outbreak of acute malnutrition would lead to permanent health complications and even deaths that can be avoided if food and therapeutic supplies are provided in a timely manner.
It pointed out that the percentage of children identified as suffering from acute malnutrition during recent months reached about 13.5% of the children who underwent examination, while this percentage rose in some areas to the level of 19%, reflecting a wide spread of nutritional disease among the civilian population.
GCHR stressed that the ceasefire did not cause a qualitative change in the nutritional situation in the Gaza Strip, as what entered the Strip does not exceed 38% of the number of trucks that were supposed to enter, while the fuel trucks that entered do not reach 15%.
It confirmed that the problem is not limited to the volume of aid and goods that enter but rather their quality and nutritional value, as dozens of items remain prohibited from entry including types of infant formula and vitamins as well as medicines.
The center referred to the warning of the World Health Organization that more than 100,000 children, in addition to about 37,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women, are vulnerable to acute malnutrition, warning of the seriousness of this given what the Palestinians have suffered from extremely harsh stages of hunger in the past months, which they have not been recovered from until now.
It explained that continuous statistics from United Nations agencies and relief organizations also indicate the continued recording of thousands of cases of acute malnutrition at the level of treatment units: in recent follow up periods, more than 35,000 children between six and 59 months were screened, 4% of whom showed cases requiring nutritional treatment.
GCHR stressed that these figures reflect a serious humanitarian situation, as the matter is not limited to a lack of calories, but extends to the absence of the nutritional diversity necessary for the growth of children and the lack of milk and supplements, making children more vulnerable to disease and death.
It warned that the escalating levels of malnutrition among children coincide with a comprehensive deterioration in basic services in Gaza, including the interruption of clean drinking water, the destruction of sanitation facilities, and the lack of fuel to operate hospitals and specialized treatment units, which increases the health risks associated with malnutrition.
The center warned that this acute nutritional situation exacerbates the risks of contracting diseases, especially in light of the collapse of water and sanitation systems and the scarcity of fuel to operate vital services, making children more vulnerable to death or to long term health effects that extend for years after the conflict stage.
It stressed that high rates of malnutrition represent a violation of the rights of the child to life and health, and places the international community before an urgent responsibility to provide nutritional protection for civilian children, and to formulate an unrestricted humanitarian response to ensure the arrival of therapeutic food to every child who needs it.
GCHR stressed that depriving children of adequate and nutritious food represents a clear violation of the right to life and the right to health, and that the use of restrictions on the entry of basic materials as a means of pressure can constitute collective punishment prohibited under international humanitarian law and the duties of the occupying power in ensuring the provision of basic needs for the civilian population.
The center demanded the immediate lifting of restrictions on the entry of necessary food and therapeutic materials through all crossings, and facilitating the arrival of humanitarian aid without administrative or political obstacles, including fuel and medical equipment. It also demanded support for malnutrition treatment units for children with equipment and specialized cadres, and the opening of an independent investigation into the human rights dimensions of food supply policies and their impact on civilian children.
The center held the occupying power and the international community legally and morally responsible for this situation, demanding immediate action to stop this sharp deterioration in the nutritional status, and to spare the next generation countless consequences.
