57 Children Die in Gaza Amid Current Aid Blockade: WHO
(MENAFN) At least 57 children in Gaza have lost their lives due to malnutrition since humanitarian aid was cut off on March 2, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which cited figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry.
During a United Nations briefing in Geneva, WHO’s representative for the West Bank and Gaza, Richard Peeperkorn, described the unfolding humanitarian disaster as "one of the world's worst hunger crises," attributing it to the "deliberate obstruction" of crucial supplies like food and medicine.
A recent assessment by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) revealed that all 2.1 million residents of Gaza are now facing a "critical risk of famine," after over a year and a half of conflict, mass displacement, and ongoing aid limitations.
Between April 1 and May 10, approximately 93% of the population—around 1.95 million people—fell into IPC Phase 3 or worse, signaling a food crisis. This includes 244,000 individuals in Phase 5, denoting a full-scale catastrophe, and another 925,000 in Phase 4, classified as an emergency.
"If the situation persists, nearly 71,000 children under the age of five are expected to be acutely malnourished over the next eleven months," Peeperkorn stated. He also noted that close to 17,000 pregnant and nursing women are facing serious health threats.
He emphasized that Gaza’s population is caught in a "dangerous cycle" where malnutrition leads to weakened immune systems, disease spreads due to poor water and sanitation, and medical care is nearly unreachable. Routine vaccinations have dropped significantly, and risks to child welfare are escalating.
"Without enough nutritious food, clean water, and access to health care, an entire generation will be permanently affected," Peeperkorn cautioned, pointing to the long-term consequences such as stunted growth, impaired cognitive development, and persistent health problems.
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