Gaza malnutrition and starvation at 'catastrophic' levels, Health Ministry says
At least 466 Palestinians have died of malnutrition and starvation since 2024, the Gaza Health Ministry says, as UNICEF warns gains against famine remain fragile.
At a glance
- At least 466 Palestinians have died of malnutrition and starvation in Gaza since 2024, the Health Ministry says.
- About 1.4 million people, or 67 percent of Gaza’s population, are projected to face crisis-level food insecurity through 2026.
- UNICEF says aid gains are fragile and warns that disruptions to supplies could worsen acute malnutrition among children.
Malnutrition and starvation in Gaza have reached “catastrophic” levels, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Friday, with at least 466 Palestinians dead from hunger-related causes since 2024.
The ministry said children accounted for one-third of those deaths, while elderly Palestinians made up the largest share: 189 deaths, or 40.5 percent of the total. It also said 11 percent of older people went without a meal for an entire day, and 48 percent reduced their portions so their families could eat. The statement was released for World Food Day.
The Health Ministry estimated that 74,200 children would need treatment for acute malnutrition through April 2027. It said malnutrition was also driving anaemia among pregnant women to 61 percent in 2026, up from 41 percent before the war began in October 2023. Nearly 4,000 pregnancy losses were recorded in the first half of 2026, more than three times the number in the preceding six months.
About 1.4 million Palestinians — 67 percent of Gaza’s population — are projected to face crisis-level food insecurity or worse through the end of 2026, the ministry warned as winter approaches.
UNICEF warns gains are fragile
The UN children’s agency, UNICEF, said progress in tackling Gaza’s hunger crisis remained fragile. It warned the situation could worsen because of disruption to supplies entering the Strip, and urged that crossings remain open.
A UNICEF report published on Friday found that a US-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas last October allowed more humanitarian aid and commercial supplies to enter, but acute malnutrition remains a risk. The report said a scaled-up food and nutrition response and the easing of restrictions helped avert a prolonged famine after it was declared in August 2025.
UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires told reporters in Geneva that the flow of commercial and humanitarian supplies must remain predictable and continuous. “The impact on children obviously will be felt if this situation is not resolved,” he said. “We can’t go back to a situation where children and families are not getting all the supplies, goods, and services that they require.”
Supply dispute
Israel said on Wednesday that no commercial goods had entered Gaza in days, blaming supply shortages on a tax dispute between local merchants and Hamas. Hamas dismissed Israel’s claims as “baseless,” while Gaza’s Government Media Office condemned what it called Israel’s “blatant disinformation campaign and false statement.”
Israel’s move to halt supplies has cut off a vital source of food and other goods in a territory where most people depend on humanitarian assistance after three years of war, repeated displacement and stringent Israeli restrictions on aid deliveries. Even before the war began in 2023, an Israeli land, sea and air blockade restricted the flow of food, clean water, fuel and medical supplies into the Strip.
Gaza’s Health Ministry called for international action to ensure unrestricted entry of food and medicine, and for support to revive local food production.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- How many Palestinians have died of malnutrition and starvation in Gaza?
- Gaza’s Health Ministry says at least 466 Palestinians have died since 2024. Children made up one-third of those deaths, and elderly Palestinians accounted for 189 deaths, or 40.5 percent.
- What did UNICEF say about Gaza’s hunger crisis?
- UNICEF said gains in tackling the crisis are fragile and acute malnutrition remains a risk. It urged that crossings stay open and warned that disrupting supplies could worsen the situation.
- Is commercial food entering Gaza?
- Israel said on Wednesday that no commercial goods had entered Gaza in days, blaming a tax dispute between local merchants and Hamas. Hamas called the claim baseless, and Gaza’s Government Media Office condemned Israel’s statement.
