WHO says malnutrition reaching 'alarming levels' in Gaza
Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished.
GENEVA - Malnutrition rates are reaching 'alarming levels' in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization warned Sunday, saying the 'deliberate blocking' of aid was entirely preventable and had cost many lives.
'Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,' the WHO said in a statement.
Of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July – including 24 children under five, one child aged over five, and 38 adults, it added.
'Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting,' the UN health agency said.
'The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.'
Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, the WHO said, citing its Nutrition Cluster partners.
It said the percentage of children aged six to 59 months suffering from acute malnutrition had tripled in the city since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Palestinian territory.
In Khan Yunis and middle Gaza, those rates have doubled in less than a month, it added.
'These figures are likely an underestimation due to the severe access and security constraints preventing many families from reaching health facilities,' the WHO said.
Israel on Sunday began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis.
But the WHO called for sustained efforts to 'flood' the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food, and for the expedited delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, plus essential medicines and supplies.
'This flow must remain consistent and unhindered to support recovery and prevent further deterioration', the Geneva-based agency said. AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
WHO says malnutrition reaching 'alarming levels' in Gaza
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished. GENEVA - Malnutrition rates are reaching 'alarming levels' in the Gaza Strip, the World Health Organization warned Sunday, saying the 'deliberate blocking' of aid was entirely preventable and had cost many lives. 'Malnutrition is on a dangerous trajectory in the Gaza Strip, marked by a spike in deaths in July,' the WHO said in a statement. Of the 74 recorded malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 had occurred in July – including 24 children under five, one child aged over five, and 38 adults, it added. 'Most of these people were declared dead on arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing clear signs of severe wasting,' the UN health agency said. 'The crisis remains entirely preventable. Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.' Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, the WHO said, citing its Nutrition Cluster partners. It said the percentage of children aged six to 59 months suffering from acute malnutrition had tripled in the city since June, making it the worst-hit area in the Palestinian territory. In Khan Yunis and middle Gaza, those rates have doubled in less than a month, it added. 'These figures are likely an underestimation due to the severe access and security constraints preventing many families from reaching health facilities,' the WHO said. Israel on Sunday began a limited 'tactical pause' in military operations to allow the UN and aid agencies to tackle a deepening hunger crisis. But the WHO called for sustained efforts to 'flood' the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food, and for the expedited delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, plus essential medicines and supplies. 'This flow must remain consistent and unhindered to support recovery and prevent further deterioration', the Geneva-based agency said. AFP
Straits Times
11 hours ago
- Straits Times
Iraqi women table tennis players chase Paralympic dreams
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Disabled Iraqi table tennis player Nur al-Huda Sarmad uses a net to pick up balls during a training session at a community centre in the southern city of Diwaniyah on July 8, 2025. A group of Iraqi women who live with disabilities train three time a week, preparing for an upcoming tournament that could qualify them for the national Paralympic team. Diwaniyah – Iraqi table tennis player Nur al-Huda Sarmad adjusts her wheelchair before striking the ball into play, braving sweltering heat, social stigma and inadequate facilities as she dreams of taking her team to the Paralympics. Sarmad and seven other Iraqi women who live with disabilities train three times a week at a community centre in the southern city of Diwaniyah, preparing for an upcoming tournament that could qualify them for the national Paralympic team. The facilities, however, are far from Olympic-standard. 'The tennis tables are broken, there are power outages and we even have to buy our own paddles,' said Sarmad, 25. With no dedicated training facility, the team often has to share the three second-hand tables at the public community centre with visitors. In the scorching Iraqi summer, they cannot turn on the fans, which would disrupt the movement of the balls. And the air conditioner that could provide some relief remains off-limits in a country grappling with chronic power cuts, especially in summer when temperatures approach 50 deg C. The community centre is powered by a generator, but it can barely sustain the essentials. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road South sinkhole removed; road remains closed for repairs Singapore Workers used nylon rope to rescue driver of car that fell into Tanjong Katong Road sinkhole Life Vet Talk: Pet owners and vets need to work together to prevent infectious zoonotic diseases Singapore Benchmark barrier: Six of her homeschooled kids had to retake the PSLE Singapore For Singapore to do well, PAP govt has to continue to hold its own: SM Lee Asia S'porean trainee doctor in Melbourne arrested for allegedly filming colleagues in toilets since 2021 Singapore Mum at 15: More teens in Singapore gave birth in 2024 Business Already owning 5 properties, woman wanted elderly dad's 4 homes These practical issues 'affect our training' and hinder the players' progress, Sarmad said. The team also faces obstacles in the form of insufficient government funding for sports, and conservative views on women's rights and people with disabilities. Paralympic champion Najlah Imad, the first Iraqi to snare a gold medal in table tennis, told AFP that 'despite the difficult circumstances, nothing is impossible'. Imad, who now relies on sponsorship deals, encouraged her fellow players to keep fighting. 'You can do anything,' she said. Sarmad, who has already won several medals, including bronze in a tournament in Thailand, takes pride in the fact that despite the many challenges, 'we overcame all this, we became players'. The state-owned community centre provides the team a stipend equivalent to US$75 (S$96) a month to cover transportation costs, but the players had to purchase their professional paddles, at a cost of US$200, out of their own pockets. The players often have to rely on taxis to travel to training sessions and back, but 'sometimes cabs refuse to take disabled people', said Sarmad. Coach Mohammed Riyad, 43, said that table tennis 'has developed in Diwaniyah solely through personal efforts... due to the lack of support from the state'. Riyad, a member of the Iraqi Paralympic Committee, said that funding sports was not a priority in a country where decades of conflicts, neglect and endemic corruption have devastated infrastructure. Through the Paralympic Committee, he has managed to acquire old equipment for Sarmad and her fellow players. He said that 'the state only focuses on football, despite the achievements of table tennis players' like Imad, who brought home the Paralympic gold from the 2024 Paris Games. Iraq has a long tradition of women's sports, with teams competing in regional football, weightlifting and boxing tournaments. But there is also vocal opposition seeking to exclude women and bar mixed-gender events. In southern Iraq, a largely conservative area where Sarmad's team is based, organisers of a marathon in 2024 had made it a men-only event after a social media controversy over women's participation in sports. Iraqis living with disabilities often face additional challenges amid a general lack of awareness about their rights and inclusion. For award-winning table tennis player Iman Hamza, 24, society mistakenly sees women with disabilities like her 'as helpless people who cannot do anything'. 'But we became world champions.' AFP
CNA
13 hours ago
- CNA
Israel announces humanitarian pause in parts of Gaza
JERUSALEM: The Israeli military announced on Sunday (Jul 27) a daily pause of its operations in parts of Gaza and the establishment of new aid corridors, after months of international pressure over a worsening hunger crisis spreading in the Palestinian enclave. The military said it would cease activity in Al-Mawasi, Deir al-Balah and Gaza City from 10am to 8pm until further notice, areas where it had not renewed ground operations since March, when it resumed its Gaza offensive. Designated secure routes for convoys delivering food and medicine will also be in place permanently from 6am until 11pm, the military said. The Egyptian state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV said on Sunday that aid started moving towards Gaza from Egypt. Hours earlier Israel began aid airdrops in what it described as an effort to ease the humanitarian conditions in the enclave. On Thursday, the UN said humanitarian pauses in Gaza would allow "the scale up of humanitarian assistance" and said Israel had not been providing enough route alternatives for its convoys, hindering aid access. International alarm over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has increased and as Israel and the US appeared on Friday to abandon ceasefire negotiations with Hamas, saying it had become clear that the militants did not want a deal. Aid organisations said last week there was mass hunger among Gaza's 2.2 million people, with food running out after Israel cut off all supplies to the territory in March, before resuming it in May with new restrictions. Dozens of Gazans have died of malnutrition in the past few weeks, according to the Gaza Health Ministry in the Hamas-run enclave. A total of 127 people have died due to malnutrition, including 85 children, since the start of the war, the ministry said. Israel says there is no starvation in Gaza and that the aid halt was meant to pressure Hamas into giving up dozens of hostages it is still holding in Gaza. After letting in aid in May, Israel said there was enough food in Gaza but that the United Nations was failing to distribute it. The UN said it was operating as effectively as possible under Israeli restrictions. The war began on Oct 7, 2023, when Hamas-led fighters stormed southern Israel, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 hostages back to Gaza.
