Gaza City – April 23, 2025: The humanitarian situation in Gaza has reached crisis levels, with over 60,000 children suffering malnutrition due to Israel’s blockade. Reports by aid organizations indicate this is alarming news.
Anadolu Ajansi The blockade, now in its seventh week, has severely restricted entry of essential supplies such as food, medicine and fuel into Gaza City – exacerbating dire living conditions within. OCHA (UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) has stressed the urgency of reopening crossings to allow vital aid through to reach those most in need. Middle East Eye, AP News and Anadolu Ajansi all provide updates.
Aid groups report that most residents in Gaza are subsisting on limited diets consisting of rice or pasta without fresh vegetables and meat, relying primarily on charity kitchens for sustenance.
Wikipedia +4 AP News +4… The Guardian.
Malnutrition rates among children under five have skyrocketed, as UNICEF reports one in three under two year-old children are acutely malnourished – an alarming increase from earlier this year. In northern Gaza alone, UNICEF estimates one out of every three are acutely malnourished compared to earlier this year.
UNICEF Its Medical facilities are struggling under an unprecedented demand and underinvestment for services, with doctors reporting an alarming rise in severe malnutrition cases among pregnant and breastfeeding women and young children, further compounded by inaccessible water resources and inadequate sanitation systems. This health crisis must be tackled immediately to save lives.
ActionAid The blockade has also put an end to critical health initiatives, including an UN-backed polio vaccination campaign with over 600,000 children targeted as targets. Such suspension raises serious concerns regarding possible outbreaks of preventable diseases that might emerge as a result.
International organizations and human rights groups have strongly condemned the blockade as collective punishment. They urge immediate steps to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza in order to avoid further worsening of humanitarian conditions there.
As the crisis worsens, international pressure mounts for intervention to provide essential aid to Gaza’s vulnerable population – in particular its children who bear the brunt of conflict.