US nurse tells of Israeli authorities confiscating provides of child formulation being introduced into Gaza by medical staff.
One in each 10 youngsters screened in clinics in Gaza run by the United Nations company for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, is malnourished, as little one starvation surges throughout the territory amid the persevering with Israeli blockade on humanitarian help.
Israel’s punishing prevention of help coming into Gaza has led to “extreme shortages of vitamin provides”, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini stated on Tuesday, describing the state of affairs for ravenous youngsters as “engineered and man-made”.
Lazzarini stated the UN should be allowed to do its work in Gaza, notably bringing in “humanitarian help at scale, together with for youngsters”.
“Any extra delay to a ceasefire will trigger extra deaths,” he stated, noting that greater than 870 ravenous Palestinians had been killed up to now whereas making an attempt to entry meals from the extremely criticised distribution system run by the Gaza Humanitarian Basis (GHF), which is backed by Israel and the USA.
UNRWA’s communications director, Juliette Touma, informed reporters in Geneva through a videolink from Amman, Jordan, that “drugs, vitamin provides, hygiene materials, gasoline are all quickly working out”.
“Our well being groups are confirming that malnutrition charges are growing in Gaza, particularly for the reason that siege was tightened greater than 4 months in the past on the second of March,” Touma stated.
“One nurse that we spoke to informed us that previously, he solely noticed these instances of malnutrition in textbooks and documentaries,” she stated.
“As malnutrition amongst youngsters spreads throughout the war-torn enclave, UNRWA has over 6,000 vans of meals, hygiene provides, drugs, medical provides outdoors of Gaza. They’re all ready to go in,” Touma added.
“The world can not proceed to look away.”
“1 in 10 youngsters screened by UNRWA in #Gaza is now malnourished,” UNRWA @JulietteTouma briefs the press at @UNGeneva.
Earlier than the conflict, such instances had been virtually extraordinary.
Now, Gaza’s shattered well being system is overwhelmed — and help is being blocked by the Authorities of Israel.… pic.twitter.com/3b8S2qONef
— UNRWA (@UNRWA) July 15, 2025
Since January 2024, UNRWA stated it had screened greater than 240,000 girls and boys below the age of 5 in its clinics, including that earlier than the conflict, acute malnutrition was uncommon in Gaza.
Andee Clark Vaughan, an emergency nurse with the Palestinian Australian New Zealand Medical Affiliation (PANZMA) primarily based in Gaza, informed Al Jazeera on Wednesday how Israeli authorities had confiscated child formulation from medical staff coming into the territory.
“Immune techniques are so compromised right here due to the malnutrition,” Vaughan stated, describing how Palestinian moms are so malnourished that they’re unable to provide breast milk to feed their infants and compelled to make troublesome choices to maintain their youngsters alive.
“What we’ve been seeing right here is mothers making an attempt to do their utmost finest, mixing water – which is usually contaminated – with beans or lentils simply to make one thing of sustenance to get these youngsters fed and get them vitamins,” Vaughan added.
On Monday, UNICEF stated that final month, greater than 5,800 youngsters had been identified with malnutrition in Gaza, together with greater than 1,000 youngsters with extreme, acute malnutrition.
It stated it was a rise for the fourth month in a row.
