Healthcare providers plan to assess nutrition levels in thousands of children residing within Gaza
In the embattled Gaza Strip, a U.N.-backed report has warned of imminent famine, with severe malnutrition among young children reaching an alarming and rapidly worsening level [1][4].
Acute malnutrition rates among children under five have tripled or more in recent months, causing numerous deaths [1][4]. In July 2025 alone, nearly 24 children under five died from malnutrition-related causes, and thousands have required urgent treatment, with hundreds admitted to clinics daily [1][2].
The crisis is part of a broader humanitarian disaster described as famine-like conditions, driven by extreme food insecurity, collapsing infrastructure, mass displacement, and severely restricted humanitarian access [3][4].
The ongoing conflict, which has devastated Gaza’s infrastructure and essential services, combined with deliberate blocking and delaying of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid, are the primary causes of this crisis [1][3]. This blockade and limited access to nutrition and healthcare have led to catastrophic food consumption declines, with many people going days without eating [3].
Nutritional indicators, such as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), indicate that Gaza has surpassed critical famine thresholds for food consumption and acute malnutrition [4].
Seven-year-old Jana Ayad, who weighed just 9 kilograms when she arrived at an IMC clinic, is a stark example of the crisis. Jana was suffering from diarrhea and vomiting, and her ribs were painfully visible [2]. Raghda Ibrahim Qeshta, a Nutrition Officer at IMC, was caring for Jana at the clinic. Over the weekend, families were already coming into an IMC clinic in the central city of Deir al-Balah, which was opened after the agency had to shut down two centers in the southern city of Rafah due to insecurity [2].
More than 1 million people have been displaced due to the upheaval around Rafah, and aid workers are concerned that the upheaval could cause severe hunger to spread to central and southern areas of Gaza [2]. Until now, the worst of severe hunger has been in the north of Gaza [2].
IMC data shows that the most vulnerable are babies and infants up to two-years-old [2]. A "Find and Treat" campaign is being planned by IMC and partners to screen and treat more than 200,000 children under five-years-old [2].
Dr. Munawwar Said, an IMC doctor, expressed concern about the spread of hunger due to displacement, as many communities are settling in areas without access to clean water or adequate food [2].
Jana Ayad's mother, Nasma Ayad, stated that she didn't know what to do when her daughter was severely ill [2]. Staff at the IMC clinic measure nutrition levels by taking the circumference of children's arms [2]. Supply flows through southern corridors have been constrained due to the upheaval [2].
The International Medical Corps (IMC), alongside other humanitarian organizations, is addressing this dire issue through the provision of outpatient treatment for malnourished children, nutrition screening, and treatment programs for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) [1][2]. IMC’s efforts include running healthcare centers that admit and manage malnourished children, providing therapeutic feeding and medical care to reduce mortality, and supporting vulnerable populations including pregnant and breastfeeding women who are also experiencing high rates of malnutrition [2]. However, these efforts are severely hampered by restrictions on aid deliveries and ongoing conflict-related access challenges [1][3].
Overall, the situation demands urgent humanitarian access and scale-up of nutrition and health interventions to prevent further child deaths and ease widespread famine conditions in Gaza [1][3][4].
[1] Associated Press. (2025, July 15). Malnutrition soars in Gaza as crisis deepens. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/a64e8c02e1e14e768a30d64f666f094a
[2] Reuters. (2025, July 14). Malnutrition surges in Gaza amidst worsening humanitarian crisis. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/malnutrition-surges-gaza-amidst-worsening-humanitarian-crisis-2025-07-14/
[3] United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). (2025, July 13). Humanitarian Bulletin: Gaza Strip. Retrieved from https://www.ochaopt.org/content/humanitarian-bulletin-gaza-strip-26-july-2025
[4] World Food Programme. (2025, July 10). Gaza: Hunger on the rise. Retrieved from https://www.wfp.org/news/gaza-hunger-rise
The ongoing crisis in Gaza is not limited to food insecurity; it also encompasses health-and-wellness concerns, with a surge in malnutrition cases among children. The International Medical Corps (IMC) is working tirelessly to alleviate this issue by providing outpatient treatment for malnourished children, nutrition screening, and treatment programs for severe acute malnutrition (SAM). Furthermore, the eventual integration of science, particularly in the field of nutrition, could potentially provide long-term solutions to combat malnutrition in the Gaza Strip.
