UNICEF has issued a fresh warning about the deteriorating humanitarian situation for Gaza’s children, reporting that close to 9,300 boys and girls under the age of five were found to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition in October.

The alert comes as Gaza faces overlapping emergencies, with winter storms flooding displacement camps and washing sewage into living areas, deepening the risks for already malnourished children.

In a statement posted on its website, the agency said “high levels of malnutrition continue to endanger the lives and wellbeing of children in the Gaza Strip, compounded by the onset of winter weather accelerating the spread of disease and increasing the risk of death among the most vulnerable children.”

High levels of malnutrition continue to endanger children’s lives in the Gaza Strip.

The onset of winter weather is accelerating the spread of disease and increasing the risk of death among the most vulnerable children.

Learn more: https://t.co/x2qe8X56Ll pic.twitter.com/WNwat5BvrB

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) November 28, 2025

According to UNICEF, health teams conducting screenings throughout the month “identified almost 9,300 children under 5 years of age with acute malnutrition in October.”

The humanitarian conditions they describe mirror scenes reported across Gaza in recent days. Heavy rainfall has inundated displacement camps, turning thousands of tents into muddy pools and forcing families to flee through floodwaters contaminated with sewage. Local bodies in Gaza have warned that children and the elderly face immediate danger from hypothermia, waterborne infections, and drowning as stormwater sweeps through overcrowded areas lacking proper drainage systems.

Lifeline denied

UNICEF stressed that crucial winter items remain stalled at Gaza’s crossings, urging that humanitarian aid be allowed to move freely and safely into the territory. As the agency put it, “as winter weather sets in, thousands of displaced families remain in makeshift shelters without warm clothes, blankets or protection from the elements, while heavy rains have washed waste and sewage through floodwaters and into populated areas.”

Catherine Russell, UNICEF’s Executive Director, said the conditions remain dire even after limited improvements: “Despite progress, thousands of children under the age of five remain acutely malnourished in Gaza, while many more lack proper shelter, sanitation and protection against winter.” She continued, “too many children in Gaza are still facing hunger, illness and exposure to cold temperatures, conditions that are putting their lives at risk. Every minute counts to protect these children.”

Russell called for all entry points into Gaza to be opened, stressing the need for streamlined procedures and the unhindered movement of relief supplies through every viable route, including via Egypt, crossings in the north of the Strip, Jordan and the West Bank.

Winter devastation

The warning comes despite the October ceasefire, as Gaza’s humanitarian needs intensify. Local authorities say a recent winter storm tore apart roughly 22,000 tents hosting displaced families and left more than 288,000 households exposed to freezing temperatures and rain. Flooding has also affected hospitals, with rainwater entering corridors and operating rooms in southern Gaza, further limiting emergency care.

Officials estimate that Gaza now requires around 300,000 tents or prefabricated units to meet even the most basic shelter needs, a consequence of the widespread destruction caused by more than two years of Israeli military operations. The worsening winter conditions have coincided with a rise in injuries from unexploded Israeli munitions, particularly among children moving through rubble-filled areas.

Since October 2023, nearly 70,000 people, the majority of them women and children, have been killed in Gaza, according to local authorities. However, new demographic research from the Max Planck Institute suggests the toll may be significantly higher. Researchers estimate that the real number of Palestinians killed over the past two years could exceed 100,000, based on combined data from Gaza’s Ministry of Health, household surveys, and public death reports.

More than 170,900 people have been injured as the war has flattened much of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure, leaving children who are already malnourished and sick without the medical care, clean water, or shelter they need to survive the winter.

Read more: Waves, winds, and cold batter Gaza camps, shelters as winter begins