UNICEF warns Gaza faces famine as child malnutrition soars above emergency thresholds

NEW YORK, United States (MNTV) – The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that Gaza, where Israel continues its genocidal war, is facing a severe food crisis that could worsen without urgent intervention.

UNICEF spokesperson Tess Ingram told Anadolu that malnutrition rates among children are alarmingly high, with families struggling to find food and clean water. She said around 15–20% of children screened are malnourished — far above emergency thresholds.

More than 110 children in Gaza have already died of hunger, with over half of those deaths occurring this year, she noted.

“In Gaza City this week, I’ve been to a number of malnutrition clinics, and we’re seeing really high rates of malnutrition among children,” Ingram said. “The general sense is that 15–20% of children who are screened are malnourished, which is very high. This is higher than famine thresholds.”

She warned that more children could die if conditions do not change. “There is a risk that more children will be killed from starvation if the situation doesn’t change. Already, more than 110 children have died from malnutrition in the Gaza Strip. Half of those deaths have occurred this year,” she said.

Ingram emphasized that the crisis is preventable. “It is a result of man-made decisions that are being made. So it can also be remedied. It can be something that we stop, if we bring in the supplies that these children need,” she said.

Calling for urgent action, she stressed: “The best medicine for a famine is a ceasefire. But failing that, we need to get all the crossings open, we need to flood the Gaza Strip with aid, and we need the operating conditions on the ground so that agencies like UNICEF can easily, safely, quickly take that aid from the crossing to the families that need it. We are doing it now, but we need to be able to do much more of it. That’s the important thing.”