Rate of Gaza children suffering acute malnutrition triples since ceasefire – UN Reports

UN reports revealed Thursday that the percentage of children suffering from acute malnutrition in the Gaza Strip has nearly tripled since the ceasefire earlier this year.

An analysis conducted by the Nutrition Cluster, which includes UN agencies and other relief agencies, showed that approximately 5.8 percent of the 50,000 children under the age of five screened in the second half of May were diagnosed with acute malnutrition.

The analysis stated that this percentage increased from 4.7 percent in early May, a threefold increase compared to February, during the lull in the 20-month-old war in the Gaza Strip.

It indicated an increase in cases of severe acute malnutrition among children, a life-threatening condition that weakens the immune system.

It explained that centers for care for medical complications resulting from acute cases in northern Gaza and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip were forced to close, preventing children from receiving life-saving treatment. (QNA)