Nearly 12,000 Gaza children acutely malnourished in July – UN

DDM News

(DDM) – The United Nations has reported that nearly 12,000 children under the age of five in Gaza were acutely malnourished in July 2025, marking the highest monthly figure ever recorded for the territory.

Data released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) shows that 11,877 children fell into the acute malnutrition category last month. Of these, 2,562 were diagnosed with severe acute malnutrition, and 40 required hospitalization in stabilization centres.

DDM gathered that the figures reflect a rapid escalation in Gaza’s hunger crisis. UNICEF, the UN children’s agency, described the trend as “staggering” and warned that young lives were at grave risk if urgent action was not taken.

In February, OCHA had documented around 2,000 acutely malnourished children, underscoring the steep rise in just five months.

The UN says aid agencies were only able to reach 3% of children under five in need of feeding programs and micronutrient supplements during the period.

According to humanitarian groups, aid convoys permitted into Gaza are only a fraction of what is needed to prevent starvation and halt rising malnutrition-related deaths.

The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN Satellite Center (UNOSAT) further reported that as of July 28, only 1.5% of Gaza’s farmland remained accessible and undamaged.

The destruction of farmland, combined with restricted humanitarian access, has deepened the crisis, leaving thousands of families without reliable food sources.

“This is clear evidence that malnutrition is accelerating rapidly,” UNICEF said in a statement. “We know how to prevent and treat malnutrition. The tools exist. The expertise exists. But without safe, sustained access, they mean nothing.”

The agency stressed that nutrition supplies must reach children immediately to prevent further loss of life.

International rights organizations have continued to call for unimpeded humanitarian corridors into Gaza, warning that without a scaled-up response, the death toll from hunger and disease could rise sharply in the coming months.

The worsening conditions come amid prolonged conflict and severe restrictions on movement and access, which have crippled the enclave’s healthcare, agricultural, and food distribution systems.

UN officials have appealed to all parties involved to prioritize the protection of civilians, especially children, and allow critical aid to flow into the territory without delay.

For families in Gaza, the crisis has now reached a breaking point, with many unable to secure even the most basic nutrition for their children.

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