Nearly 9,300 children under the age of five in Gaza were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition in October, UNICEF warned Saturday, calling the situation a life-threatening emergency worsened by the arrival of winter, according to Anadolu.
In a statement, the agency said malnutrition levels remain “dangerously high,” with cold weather accelerating the spread of disease and increasing the risk of death among vulnerable children. Nutrition screenings conducted by UNICEF and its partners last month identified the surge in acute malnutrition, underscoring what the agency described as a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian landscape.
Large quantities of winter supplies, including clothing, blankets, and sanitation materials, remain stalled at Gaza’s borders. UNICEF urged the “safe, rapid and unobstructed” entry of aid, warning that families in makeshift shelters have little protection from rain, wind, and plunging temperatures. Heavy storms this week washed sewage and waste into crowded areas, deepening the health crisis.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell said that while some progress has been made, “thousands of children under five remain acutely malnourished in Gaza,” and many more lack basic shelter or sanitation. “Too many children are still facing hunger, illness and exposure to cold. Every minute counts,” she said.
Russell called for all crossings into Gaza to be opened with expedited clearance procedures and for humanitarian supplies to be prioritized across every feasible route, including through Egypt, Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank.
The warning comes despite the ceasefire that took effect in October, as Gaza confronts mounting humanitarian pressures. Local authorities say a recent winter storm damaged about 22,000 tents and left nearly 288,000 households exposed to the elements. They estimate the territory needs roughly 300,000 tents and prefabricated housing units after widespread destruction during two years of war.
According to Gaza’s media office, nearly 70,000 people, mostly women and children, have been killed since October 2023, with more than 170,000 injured.
