UN Warns: All Gaza Children Under 5 at Risk of Life-Threatening Malnutrition

The United Nations has issued a stark warning: every child under five in Gaza, about 320,000, is at serious risk of life-threatening malnutrition amid worsening starvation and blocked humanitarian aid.

The UN World Food Programme says the collapse of health and nutrition services, lack of clean water, breast milk substitutes, and specialized feeding programs are compounding the crisis.

In the past 24 hours alone, Gaza’s hospitals recorded six more deaths linked to malnutrition, including a child, raising the toll to 181 hunger-related fatalities so far, with 94 of these being children, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

Health authorities also raised alarms about a surge in acute soft paralysis among children, diagnosed as Guillain-Barré syndrome, caused by a combination of infections and severe malnutrition. Three recent deaths have been attributed to this rare disorder, which leads to rapid numbness and muscle weakness.

Meanwhile, Gaza’s authorities accuse Israel of intentionally blocking more than 22,000 humanitarian aid trucks, a deliberate denial of life-saving food and medical supplies. The territory has been under a full blockade since March 2, just before Israel resumed military operations following a two-month ceasefire.

The UN’s warnings paint a terrible picture: thousands of young lives are in jeopardy as essential nutrition and medical support are systematically withheld.