The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that at least 57 children in Gaza have perished from starvation since March 2.
WHO announced that the deaths coincide with a growing assistance embargo that has made it extremely difficult for the populace to obtain food and medical supplies.
WHO’s representative for the West Bank and Gaza, Richard Peeperkorn, described the situation as “one of the world’s worst hunger crises” during a UN briefing in Geneva. He claimed that because of the 19 months of conflict, displacement, and restricted access to supplies, the whole population of Gaza, which is estimated to be 2.1 million people, is now at serious risk of starvation.
According to data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), over 1.95 million people, or 93% of Gaza’s population, are suffering from crisis-level hunger.
Of those, 925,000 are in IPC Phase 4, which denotes emergency conditions, and 244,000 are in IPC Phase 5, which denotes catastrophic starvation.
Up to 71,000 children under five could suffer from severe malnutrition over the course of the following year if the crisis persists, Peeperkorn cautioned. In addition, a shortage of food and medical attention puts about 17,000 expectant and nursing mothers at grave risk.
Although supplies are dangerously low, the WHO is presently helping 19 malnutrition treatment clinics in Gaza. According to the group, it only has adequate resources to serve roughly 500 children, which is significantly less than what is actually needed. It further mentioned that the problem was getting worse due to a lack of clean water, widespread illness, and a breakdown in healthcare facilities.
Meanwhile, people are still dying from violence. Israeli airstrikes resumed shortly after Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander was freed during a brief ceasefire. Numerous civilians were killed and injured in attacks on a school in northern Gaza and a shelter in Khan Younis. Nearly 52,900 people have died in Gaza since October 2023, mostly women and children, according to Palestinian health officials.
