Gaza malnutrition and starvation at ‘catastrophic’ levels: Health Ministry

About ۶۷ percent of Gaza’s population is projected to face crisis-level food insecurity or worse through the end of ۲۰۲۶.

Malnutrition and starvation rates in Gaza have reached “catastrophic” levels, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, despite a United States-brokered “ceasefire” that aims in part to allow more food and medical supplies to enter the Strip as Palestinians face famine.

At least ۴۶۶ Palestinians have died of malnutrition and starvation since ۲۰۲۴, with children accounting for one-third of the deaths, the Gaza Health Ministry said on Friday, in a statement released for World Food Day.

Elderly Palestinians accounted for the largest share of malnutrition-related deaths in the Strip, with ۱۸۹ deaths, representing ۴۰.۵ percent of the total. The ministry said ۱۱ percent of older people went without a meal for an entire day and ۴۸ percent reduced portions so their families could eat.

The ministry estimated that ۷۴,۲۰۰ children would require treatment for acute malnutrition through April ۲۰۲۷.

Malnutrition was also driving up rates of anaemia among pregnant women to ۶۱ percent in ۲۰۲۶, up from ۴۱ percent before the war began in October ۲۰۲۳. Nearly ۴,۰۰۰ pregnancy losses were recorded in the first half of ۲۰۲۶, more than three times the number recorded in the preceding six months.

More than ۱.۴ million Palestinians – ۶۷ percent of Gaza’s population – are projected to face crisis-level food insecurity or worse through the end of ۲۰۲۶ as winter months approach, the ministry warned.

Gains in tackling hunger crisis at risk

The United Nations children’s agency, UNICEF, said that gains in tackling Gaza’s hunger crisis were fragile. It warned that the situation could worsen due to disruption of supplies entering Strip, and urged that crossings remain open.

A UNICEF report ⁠published on Friday found that while the so-called “ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas last October ⁠had allowed more humanitarian aid and commercial supplies to enter, acute malnutrition remains a risk.

The report said scaled-up food and nutrition response and the easing of restrictions on the entry of food and nutrition ⁠supplies helped to avert a prolonged famine after it was declared in August ۲۰۲۵.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said the flow of both commercial and humanitarian supplies must remain predictable and continuous.

“The impact on children obviously will be felt if this situation is not resolved,” he said. “We can’t go back to a situation where children and families are not getting all the supplies, goods, and services that they require.”

Israel said on Wednesday that no commercial goods had entered the Strip in days, blaming the supply shortages on a tax dispute between local merchants and Hamas. The Palestinian group dismissed Israel’s claims as “baseless” while Gaza’s Government Media Office condemned Israel’s “blatant disinformation campaign and false statement”.

Israel’s move to halt supplies has cut off a vital source of ⁠food and other goods in a territory where most depend on humanitarian assistance after three years of war, repeated displacement and stringent Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries.

Even before Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza began in ۲۰۲۳, an Israeli land, sea and air blockade restricted the flow of food, clean water, fuel and medical supplies from entering the Strip.

Gaza’s Health Ministry has called for international action to ensure unrestricted entry of food and medicine into the Strip. It also called for support to revive local food production.