UNRWA: 1 in 3 Gaza children under 2 acutely malnourished in north Gaza
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UNRWA issues a stark warning regarding the dire situation in northern Gaza, where a significant number of children under the age of two are suffering from acute malnutrition.
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A Palestinian girl holds a bowl of beans before an iftar meal in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip amid the Israeli genocidal war (AFP)
The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warned, once again, that a significant portion of children under two in northern Gaza are severely malnourished, signaling a looming famine amid the Israeli total blockade of the strip.
“1 in 3 children under 2 years of age are now acutely malnourished in northern Gaza,” UNRWA said in a post on X.
The agency further stated that malnutrition among children is rapidly escalating to unprecedented levels in Gaza, with a warning of an imminent famine. It emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating that action must be taken immediately.
🚨 1 in 3 children under 2 years of age are now acutely malnourished in northern #Gaza.
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) March 16, 2024
Children's malnutrition is spreading fast and reaching unprecedented levels in #Gaza. Famine is looming. There is no time to waste.@UNICEF @UNICEFmena @unicefchief https://t.co/YbkEf2C9ay
UNRWA reported that at least 23 children have succumbed to malnutrition and dehydration in northern Gaza. This grim statistic comes after five months of relentless Israeli aggression on Gaza, resulting in widespread destruction and forced displacement among its 2.3 million people.
More than 13,000 children killed since October 7 in Gaza: UNICEF
The UN children's agency on Sunday reported that more than 13,000 children have been martyred in Gaza since the start of "Israel's" genocidal campaign.
The agency noted that a significant number of Gaza's children are experiencing severe malnutrition, to the point where they lack the energy to even shed tears.
"Thousands more have been injured or we can't even determine where they are. They may be stuck under rubble ... We haven't seen that rate of death among children in almost any other conflict in the world," UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell told CBS News' "Face the Nation" program on Sunday.
"I've been in wards of children who are suffering from severe anemia malnutrition, the whole ward is absolutely quiet. Because the children, the babies ... don't even have the energy to cry." Russell said there were "very great bureaucratic challenges" moving trucks into Gaza for aid and assistance.
The Israeli occupation has been restricting the entry of food and humanitarian aid as part of its genocidal campaign on the Gaza Strip.
Earlier this month, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food told Reuters that "Israel has mounted a starvation campaign against the Palestinian people in Gaza."
Read more: 'Israel' 'intentionally' starving Gazans, destroying food system: UN
