Over 54,600 children under five acutely malnourished in Gaza, study finds

Children trying to get food from aid distribution centers in Gaza. (Photo: UNICEF)

By Bashir Mbuthia
Thursday, October 9, 2025

According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 461 people, including 157 children, have died from malnutrition since the war began in October 2023, most of them in 2025.

A new United Nations (UN) report has revealed that child hunger in Gaza has reached alarming levels, with more than 54,600 children under five suffering from acute malnutrition and around 12,800 severely affected.

The study, carried out by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and published in The Lancet medical journal on Wednesday, tracked the nutrition of almost 220,000 children across 94 health centres and shelters in Gaza between January 2024 and August 2025.

According to the study, about 16 per cent of children aged between six months and five years are suffering from acute wasting, while nearly 4 per cent are severely wasted. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defines wasting as low weight for height, often caused by a lack of nutritious food or repeated illness.

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Wasting signals recent and severe weight loss that can be fatal in young children if untreated. Treatment often requires several weeks of therapeutic feeding, sometimes with hospitalisation, with most hospitals in Gaza struggling with limited medical supplies and food shortages.

According to Gaza's health ministry, at least 461 people, including 157 children, have died from malnutrition since the war began in October 2023, most of them in 2025.

The study also shows a direct link between malnutrition and the flow of humanitarian aid. Rates of wasting dropped during a six-week ceasefire in early 2025 when aid deliveries temporarily increased, but rose sharply again after new blockades in March.

"After a 6-week ceasefire, marked by a substantial increase in the number of aid trucks entering through territory borders, by March 2025, the prevalence of wasting had declined to 5·5 per cent (831 of 15,165)," the study reads.

"However, after an 11-week blockade from March to May, 2025, and continued severely restricted entry of food, water, medicines, fuel, and other essentials thereafter, by early August, 2025, 15·8 per cent (1,213 of 7,668) of screened children were acutely wasted, including 3·7 per cent (280 of 7,668) severely wasted, equating to more than 54,600 children in need of therapeutic care."

Israel has limited aid to Gaza throughout the war, at times cutting off food, water, and fuel completely for weeks. In May, a new system supported by Israel and the United States (US) reduced aid delivery to four sites, forcing people to cross military-controlled areas to get supplies.

According to the UN, more than 1,000 Palestinians were killed near these sites while trying to get supplies.

On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire based on his 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza.

The agreement calls for the release of 20 Israeli captives believed to be alive and the return of the bodies of 28 others held in Gaza, while Israel is set to free more than 1,000 Palestinian prisoners, including hundreds arrested since the conflict began in October 2023.

The announcement came after three days of indirect talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, attended by senior officials from Qatar, Turkey, Egypt and the US. While both sides have confirmed the deal, differences remain over how the broader plan will be implemented.

The ceasefire has not yet taken effect, but world and regional leaders have welcomed the announcement with messages of hope and support.