INFANT MALNUTRITION IN GAZA

In August 2025, Gaza faces a catastrophic emergency: widespread famine and acute malnutrition, particularly among infants and young children. Aid agencies warn that babies are now dying in alarming numbers, not from disease alone, but from prolonged starvation and preventable food shortages. What is unfolding is not a natural disaster, it is a crisis fueled by blockade, conflict, and structural collapse.

In the Northern Gaza Strip, 1 in 6 children under 2 is acutely malnourished, and nearly 3 % suffer from severe wasting, compared to just 0.8 % before October 2023. Médecins du Monde reported that in up to six clinics, nearly 1 in 4 infants under one, and 19 % of pregnant or breastfeeding women, suffered acute malnutrition, compared to pre‑conflict rates of less than 1 %.

In May 2025, 5,119 children aged 6 months to 5 years were admitted for treatment; of these, 636 had severe acute malnutrition (SAM), a 50 % rise over April and 150 % since February.

WHO reports that of 74 malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 occurred in July, including 24 children under five, most showing classic signs of wasting on arrival. By late July 2025, authorities warned that more than a third of Gaza’s population goes days without eating, and over 500,000 people are living in conditions consistent with famine, especially children under five.

In July 2025, 43 % of pregnant and breastfeeding women seen in Save the Children clinics were malnourished, drastically reducing breastmilk production. Mothers are asking for formula “so their baby can still be fed if they die”.

Without breastmilk, infants are fed harmful substitutes, water mixed with ground chickpeas, tahini, or herbal concoctions, leading to illness, malnutrition, and gastrointestinal damage.

Malnourished babies have weakened immunity and are more vulnerable to infections like diarrhoea and pneumonia, which further prevent nutrient absorption, creating a deadly cycle.

Chronic malnutrition during the first 1,000 days severely risks brain development. While some recovery is possible with early intervention, irreversible effects, such as stunting and cognitive delay, are likely without immediate care.

Israeli restrictions severely limit humanitarian access. Between October 2023 and March 2025, entry of food, fuel, medical supplies, and therapeutic nutrition was largely blocked. Entry points remain under severe limitation.

UN experts describe the starvation tactics as intentional, framing it as a potential war crime, and warning that famine is unfolding through the deliberate destruction of food production systems and aid infrastructure.

Gaza’s healthcare system is collapsing: 94 % of hospitals destroyed or non-functional, shortages of fuel and medical staff, and unsafe water supplies have undermined both routine care and emergency interventions. Many nutrition stabilization centers and treatment facilities have suspended operations due to conflict and displacement, especially in areas like North Gaza and Rafah.

A surge in diseases, up to 70 % of children under five had recent diarrhoea, alongside respiratory infections, skin conditions, and scabies, is overwhelming shelters and clinics. Diarrhoea alone inhibits nutrient absorption and worsens malnutrition.

Families without formula resort to feeding infants ground chickpeas via syringe, boiled herbs, or even diluted tahini. These substitutes lack essential nutrients and may cause gastrointestinal harm and infections.

MSF reports outpatient malnutrition cases nearly quadrupled from 293 in May to 983 in early July, among which 326 children were between 6 and 23 months old. With supplies of Ready‑to‑Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF, e.g. Plumpy’Nut) critically low and only 127 of 236 treatment centres operational, children with SAM lack access to life‑saving therapeutic interventions.

Gaza’s health ministry reports at least 175 deaths from starvation since the conflict began, including 93 children, and daily increases persist, e.g., six more starvation deaths reported on August 3, 2025. Amid chaos at aid distribution sites, over 1,400 people have been killed or injured since late May, including many seeking food, with at least 27 killed at a single distribution point by gunfire.

Stunting, underweight, reduced immunity materially undermine long-term health. Cognitive development is deeply affected, with potential lifelong deficits in language, attention, memory, and intelligence. The trauma of living in famine conditions, bombardment, displacement, disease, threatens mental health in infants and caregivers alike.

WHO, UNICEF, WFP, and other agencies demand safe, unimpeded, and sustained humanitarian access, including access to RUTF, infant formula, clean water, and medical supplies.

Experts highlight that existing efforts, limited airdrops, small-scale convoys, are insufficient. The IPC classifies large parts of Gaza at famine thresholds and warns that formal recognition may be imminent.

RUTF like Plumpy’Nut could dramatically reduce child mortality if delivered at scale, but substantial stockpiles remain undelivered due to political and bureaucratic barriers 

Even though Plumpy’Nut supplies are available globally, production and funding have declined; meanwhile Gaza’s need is escalating.

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