Severe Malnutrition Threatens 70,000 Gaza Children As Another Child Dies of Hunger
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Another Palestinian child has died from hunger and dehydration in Gaza, as health officials and international agencies warn that over 70,000 children in the besieged enclave are suffering from severe malnutrition due to Israel’s ongoing blockade.
Gaza’s Health Ministry announced that a child named Mustafa Yassin died in Gaza City from starvation and a lack of water.
This marks another tragic death amid worsening humanitarian conditions in the strip, where weeks of intensified Israeli siege have led to a spike in reports of child and elderly deaths due to hunger and dehydration.
The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) said that more than 70,000 children in Gaza are facing severe malnutrition.
“We are using every opportunity to deliver food aid to Gaza, but it’s not enough,” the WFP stated.
“What is getting in is far from sufficient.”
The agency emphasized the urgent need for “immediate, safe, and unrestricted access” for aid deliveries to combat famine and save lives.
Palestinian Health Minister Majed Abu Ramadan issued a stark warning on Friday, reporting that 29 more children and elderly individuals had died over the past two days due to hunger-related causes.
He said thousands of others remain at risk as the humanitarian crisis deepens.
Commenting on the danger facing newborns, Abu Ramadan noted:
“There is a very high likelihood that 14,000 newborns in Gaza could die if the blockade continues and aid does not reach them.”
He described the estimate as “completely realistic.”
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food also condemned Israel’s actions, stating:
“Israel is using starvation as a weapon against civilians.”
The official urged the UN General Assembly to intervene and end the “unjust blockade” to prevent further suffering among Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.
