9000 cases of severe malnutrition in children under five in Gaza

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced that it recorded approximately 9,300 cases of severe malnutrition among children under the age of five in the Gaza Strip during the month of October 2025.

In its statement, the organisation warned that high levels of malnutrition continue to seriously threaten children’s lives and health. And with the onset of winter, weather conditions are exacerbating the crisis through the spread of disease and falling temperatures. As a result, increasing mortality rates are soaring among the most vulnerable groups.

Gaza’s starving population

UNICEF explained that tests conducted by its teams and partners in Gaza last month revealed these large numbers of children suffering from acute malnutrition. And, the organisation confirmed that large shipments of winter supplies remain stuck at the border. They have called, once again, for humanitarian aid to be delivered safely and without hindrance.

In this context, Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, said:

Despite progress, thousands of children under the age of five remain acutely malnourished in Gaza, while many more lack proper shelter, sanitation and protection against winter.

And, Russell also stressed the urgency of the situation:

Too many children in Gaza are still facing hunger, illness and exposure to cold temperatures, conditions that are putting their lives at risk. Every minute counts to protect these children.

It is estimated that the Gaza Strip needs around 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units to provide minimum shelter for the population, following the widespread destruction caused by Israel’s war of extermination over the past two years.

Featured image via the Canary