WHO chief warns of 'deadly surge' in malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza

The World Health Organization chief warned that Gaza is now facing "mass starvation" with a sharp rise in malnutrition-related deaths, including children, amid severe aid restrictions and the ongoing Israeli war.

"We are now witnessing a deadly surge in malnutrition-related deaths," Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press briefing in Geneva on Wednesday, noting that 2.1 million people in the enclave are trapped in a war zone.

"Since July 17, severe acute malnutrition centres are full, without sufficient supplies for emergency feeding," Tedros said.

On the severe impact on children, he said that so far this year, the WHO has documented 21 deaths related to malnutrition of children aged under 5.

Global acute malnutrition rates in Gaza now exceed 10 percent, while over 20 percent of pregnant and breastfeeding women screened are malnourished, many severely, he said, adding that the collapse of aid pipelines and access restrictions are accelerating the crisis.

A complete blockade from early March to mid-May prevented any food deliveries to Gaza for nearly 80 consecutive days. Although deliveries have resumed, they remain "far below what is needed" to sustain the population, according to the WHO chief.

The WHO chief said 95 percent of households face severe water shortages, with daily access far below the minimum required for drinking, cooking, and hygiene.

He described scenes of desperation, with children crying themselves to sleep from hunger and food distribution sites becoming "places of violence" as health authorities report over 1,000 people have been killed in Gaza. "There is mass starvation," he said. "We demand that there is full access, and we demand that there is a ceasefire."

Israel has killed more than 59,200 Palestinians, most of them women and children, in Gaza since October 2023. The military campaign has devastated the enclave, collapsed the health system, and led to severe food shortages.

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Source: TRT