WHO Warns of Rising Child Deaths from Malnutrition in Gaza

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised a red flag over a growing health emergency in Gaza, where child malnutrition is worsening at a deadly pace. According to a statement released on Wednesday, the organization has confirmed the deaths of 21 children under the age of five due to malnutrition-related causes in 2025. This marks a critical point in what experts are calling a "deadly surge" in hunger and nutritional deficiencies in the region. Gaza's already fragile healthcare system continues to collapse under the pressure of ongoing conflict, limited access to humanitarian aid, and severe shortages of food and medicine. As a result, many children are now suffering from acute malnutrition, also known as wasting, which significantly increases the risk of death, especially when combined with other health issues like infections and lack of clean water. Health officials on the ground have reported that both treatment centers and supplies are overstretched. International agencies and NGOs are struggling to reach affected areas due to security concerns and access restrictions. According to WHO, if this situation does not improve rapidly, the number of child deaths is expected to rise even further in the coming weeks. UN agencies, including UNICEF and the World Food Programme, have called for immediate and safe access to deliver life-saving food, water, and medicine. The growing crisis highlights the urgent need for international cooperation and political solutions that allow sustained humanitarian support. Without action, WHO warns the worst is yet to come for Gaza's most vulnerable population.

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The global response to the rising child malnutrition crisis in Gaza has been slow and heavily constrained by political and logistical challenges. Despite repeated calls from the World Health Organization and other UN bodies, humanitarian access remains limited due to ongoing conflict and damaged infrastructure. Aid convoys are often delayed or blocked, making it difficult to deliver food and medical aid to the areas where it is needed most. The WHO has emphasized that the deaths of 21 children under five years old should be a wake-up call to the international community. These deaths are not isolated incidents but signs of a broader collapse in food security and child health. Health workers have documented alarming rates of acute malnutrition, stunted growth, and other life-threatening conditions in shelters and displaced populations. UNICEF and the World Food Programme have joined WHO in calling for emergency funding and safe corridors to carry out large-scale nutrition interventions. They are also appealing for political will to protect health workers and ensure unhindered delivery of aid. As Gaza continues to face restrictions on imports and basic supplies, the risk to children grows daily. International health experts warn that Gaza is at the tipping point of a humanitarian catastrophe that will take years to recover from. Without immediate intervention, the current crisis could become one of the worst child malnutrition emergencies in recent history. Activists and humanitarian groups are urging the public to pressure their governments and support trusted organizations working on the ground. Every delay in action increases the likelihood of more avoidable deaths. The time to act is now, WHO says, to prevent an even greater tragedy in the weeks and months ahead.

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