More than 9,000 children in Gaza were hospitalized for acute malnutrition in October alone, despite a ceasefire declared two months prior, according to the latest UN figures. While the immediate threat of famine has lessened, aid agencies report continuing restrictions on humanitarian aid deliveries, hindering recovery for the population.
Gaza Child Malnutrition Remains High After Ceasefire
Although the peak of child malnutrition seen in August – 14,000 cases – has decreased, 9,300 children received treatment for severe acute malnutrition in October. This figure remains significantly higher than rates observed during a previous ceasefire in February and March of this year.
Tess Ingram, a spokesperson for the UN child protection agency Unicef, described meeting newborns in Gaza hospitals weighing less than one kilogramme, struggling to breathe. “It’s still a shockingly high number,” Ingram said, briefing journalists from Gaza.
In October, approximately 8,300 pregnant and breastfeeding women were also hospitalized due to acute malnutrition. Unicef warns this pattern will likely lead to a rise in low birthweight babies born in the Gaza Strip in the coming months.
“This is not over. Generations of families, including those being born now into this ceasefire, have been forever altered by what was inflicted upon them,” Ingram added.
Aid deliveries to Gaza have increased since the height of the conflict, but are still insufficient to meet humanitarian needs. An average of 140 aid trucks have crossed into Gaza daily in December, organized by the UN and the International Organisation for Migration. This falls short of the ceasefire target of 600 trucks per day.
While bilateral aid donations and commercial shipments have increased, bringing down market prices for some commodities, they remain unaffordable for most Gazans who have experienced two years of income loss and depleted savings.
Aid coordination is currently managed through the Civil-Military Coordination Centre, led by the US and Israel. However, diplomats and aid officials report that the Israeli army retains final authority over what aid is permitted into Gaza. The UN reported that out of eight humanitarian convoys coordinated with Israeli authorities on Sunday, only four were facilitated.
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