Watan-The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) stated that one out of every six infants in northern Gaza faces severe malnutrition.

The UN agency mentioned in a report that “the situation is very serious, especially in northern Gaza,” pointing out the near-total cessation of aid to northern Gaza for weeks.

It explained that nutrition assessments conducted in shelters and health centers in the area showed that 1 out of every 6 children under the age of two suffers from severe malnutrition.

The mentioned ratio equals 15.6% of children in northern Gaza, with nearly 3% of them suffering from severe wasting, which poses a life-threatening risk.

Urgent Warning

The organization warned that the affected children will face medical complications and death unless they receive urgent treatment, affirming that the situation is worsening.

Similar assessments conducted in Rafah found that 5% of children under the age of two suffer from severe malnutrition.

The organization emphasized the importance of accessing humanitarian aid and the necessity of preventing a new attack on Rafah.

In this context, the organization noted that at least 90% of children under the age of five in Gaza are affected by at least one infectious disease.

It added that 70% of children have experienced diarrhea in the past two weeks, with a 23-fold increase compared to 2022.

UNICEF, along with the World Food Programme and the World Health Organization, called through the report for providing safe, sustainable, and unobstructed access to urgently deliver humanitarian assistance throughout the Gaza Strip.