Deaths from malnutrition in Gaza rise at alarming rate

A total of 14 people died from malnutrition in a 24-hour period on Monday, July 28, the Gaza Health Ministry said. This brings the total number of deaths from malnutrition to 128 in the territory since the start of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023. By December of that year, the first cases of malnutrition were reported, as Israel began to limit aid into the besieged enclave.

The ministry also reported that of the 74 malnutrition-related deaths so far this year, 63 were in July – including 24 children under five, one aged five or older, and 38 adults. Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting.

The World Health Organisation has warned that malnutrition rates have reached "alarming levels". Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza city is now acutely malnourished. Global Acute Malnutrition, which measures the percentage of children aged six to 59 months suffering from acute malnutrition, has tripled since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Gaza Strip.

'Worst-case scenario' warns UN watchdog

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) issued an alert on Tuesday over the rise in hunger-related deaths in the enclave, and added that access to food and other essential items has plummeted to unprecedented levels.

"Famine thresholds have been reached for food consumption in most of the Gaza Strip," wrote the IPC in a report.

"Immediate action must be taken to allow for unimpeded, large-scale, life-saving humanitarian response. This is the only path to stopping further deaths and catastrophic human suffering."