The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has disclosed alarming statistics regarding the nutritional status of children in Gaza, revealing that approximately 90% of them lack adequate nutrition, posing severe risks to their survival, growth, and development.
A report released by UNICEF on Thursday shed light on the dire consequences of Israel’s military offensive in the region, which has led to the collapse of food and health systems. The report found that between December of the previous year and April of this year, one in ten children in Gaza survived on “two or fewer food groups per day.”
The situation worsened in February, with 65% of children being fed diets consisting of “only one or no food groups,” marking a sixfold increase from the first half of December. Despite Israel’s assertion that it does not impose limits on humanitarian supplies to civilians in Gaza and attributing delays in deliveries to UN inefficiency, reports of pockets of famine and children dying from malnutrition and dehydration have intensified pressure on Israel from its allies to facilitate the entry of food into Gaza.
The UNICEF report attributed the nutrition deprivation to military actions that have destroyed food systems and imposed severe restrictions on the import of commercial goods and humanitarian supplies, depriving millions of essential food, water, and fuel.
Global Crisis in Childhood Nutrition
The report, titled “Child Food Poverty: Nutrition deprivation in early childhood,” examined food poverty among young children in 100 countries, revealing that more than one in four children under the age of five face severe food poverty, impacting over 180 million children’s growth and development.
Of the children affected by severe food poverty, 65% reside in just 20 countries, with South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa being the most affected regions, hosting 64 million and 59 million affected children, respectively. The report highlighted situations in Gaza and Somalia, where conflict and natural disasters have pushed over half of children into food poverty, exposing them to life-threatening malnutrition at an alarming rate.
Harriet Torlesse, one of the report’s lead writers, expressed shock at the persistence of the crisis despite knowing the necessary actions to address it.
Minimum Dietary Diversity for Healthy Development
According to UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), children need to consume foods from at least five of the eight defined food groups for healthy development. These groups include breastmilk, eggs, dairy products, and meat, poultry, and fish, among others.
UNICEF chief Catherine Russell emphasized that children who consume only two food groups per day are up to 50% more likely to experience severe forms of malnutrition. This condition can lead to emaciation, which, if survived, hinders academic performance and earning potential, perpetuating the cycle of poverty from one generation to the next.
Slow Progress and Call for Action
Despite some progress over the past decade, the agency noted slow advancement in addressing the crisis globally and called for improved social services and humanitarian aid to support the most vulnerable children worldwide.
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