Amman: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has raised alarms about increasing malnutrition rates among children in the Gaza Strip, reporting that one in ten children is currently affected. This data, sourced from UNRWA's clinics and medical points across Gaza, highlights a concerning trend.
According to Kuwait News Agency, UNRWA's Director of Communications, Juliette Touma, speaking from Amman during a press briefing in Geneva, noted that malnutrition rates have surged in Gaza since the siege tightened four months ago. Since January 2024, UNRWA health teams have screened over 240,000 boys and girls across the region.
Touma emphasized the severe shortages faced by UNRWA in combatting malnutrition, pointing out that therapeutic supplies are almost non-existent. The agency has been struggling with a lack of medicines, nutritional supplies, fuel, and hygiene materials, having run out of food stocks in late April.
She also highlighted that nearly 60 percent of essential medicines have been depleted from UNRWA's warehouses following a ban by Israeli forces on bringing in humanitarian aid, including food and medicines, since March 2.
On the situation in the occupied West Bank, Touma described it as a "silent war," with escalating aggression and severe restrictions on freedom of movement by Israeli forces. The ongoing military campaign has led to increased poverty, unemployment, and forced displacement, marking the largest Palestinian displacement in the area since 1967. Despite these challenges, UNRWA continues its operations with a 14,000-strong local workforce, providing essential services, particularly in healthcare and education, to Palestinian refugees and others in need.