GAZA, July 18, 2025 (WAFA) – A one-and-a-half-year-old girl died on Friday in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah due to severe malnutrition, amid a deepening hunger crisis caused by the Israeli blockade on the besieged Strip.
Medical sources reported that hospitals in Gaza are overwhelmed with hundreds of cases of acute hunger and malnutrition. Many patients are showing severe symptoms of starvation, including extreme fatigue and memory loss.
According to health officials, an estimated 17,000 children are currently suffering from acute malnutrition in Gaza. The crisis is putting immense pressure on the already strained healthcare system, which is struggling with a lack of hospital beds and essential medicines.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) recently warned that child malnutrition has sharply worsened, especially among children under five. Between March and June 2025, UNRWA's clinics conducted nearly 74,000 screenings, identifying approximately 5,500 cases of moderate acute malnutrition and over 800 cases of severe acute malnutrition.
UNRWA attributed the alarming rise in malnutrition to the ongoing Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has severely restricted the flow of food, medicine, and humanitarian aid.
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