Malnutrition rates reach alarming levels in Gaza, WHO warns | News | Media centre – emro.who.int

 

Report on the Escalating Malnutrition Crisis in the Gaza Strip

Jerusalem, Cairo, Geneva – 27 July 2025

A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that malnutrition rates in the Gaza Strip have reached a critical and dangerous trajectory. The crisis, which is entirely preventable, has resulted in a significant spike in mortality during July 2025, directly undermining key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Impact on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The current situation represents a catastrophic failure to uphold fundamental human rights and achieve global development targets. The crisis directly contravenes the principles of several SDGs.

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• The deliberate obstruction of large-scale food and humanitarian aid has led to widespread, life-threatening hunger.
• Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City suffers from acute malnutrition, demonstrating a complete reversal of progress toward ending hunger and ensuring access to safe, nutritious food.
• The desperate and dangerous search for food, which has resulted in over 1060 deaths since May, highlights the extreme levels of food insecurity.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The surge in malnutrition-related deaths, particularly among children and vulnerable adults, is a direct violation of the goal to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages.
• The health system is nearing collapse, with specialized treatment centers overwhelmed, under-supplied, and running beyond capacity.
• A dangerous cycle of illness and death is being driven by the breakdown of water and sanitation systems, accelerating the spread of disease and compounding the effects of malnutrition.
• Over 40% of pregnant and breastfeeding women are severely malnourished, posing severe risks to both maternal and infant health.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The crisis is exacerbated by the lack of peace and security. The deliberate blocking of aid and attacks on civilians seeking food undermine the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies.
• The WHO’s call for a ceasefire, the protection of civilians, and the release of hostages and detained personnel is a direct appeal for the conditions necessary to achieve SDG 16.

Key Statistical Findings (July 2025)

Mortality and Malnutrition Rates

• A total of 74 malnutrition-related deaths were recorded in 2025, with 63 (85%) occurring in July alone.
• July fatalities included 24 children under five, one child over five, and 38 adults.
• Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates for children under five have tripled in Gaza City since June.
• In Khan Younis and the Middle Area, GAM rates have doubled in less than one month.
• Over 40% of screened pregnant and breastfeeding women are severely malnourished, with rates tripling in the Middle Area compared to June.

Healthcare System Strain

1. Outpatient Admissions: Over 5000 children under five were admitted for outpatient malnutrition treatment in the first two weeks of July. Of these, 18% suffered from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), the most life-threatening form.
2. Inpatient Admissions: 73 children with SAM and medical complications were hospitalized in July, an increase from 39 in June. Total inpatient admissions for 2025 reached 263.
3. Facility Overload: The four specialized malnutrition treatment centers in Gaza are operating beyond capacity, facing critical shortages of fuel and supplies, which are expected to be depleted by mid-August.

Primary Contributing Factors

• Systematic blocking and delays in the delivery of food, health, and humanitarian aid.
• Severe access and security constraints preventing families from reaching health facilities.
• The collapse of water and sanitation infrastructure, leading to increased disease transmission.
• Ongoing conflict and the failure to protect civilians and humanitarian operations.

WHO Recommendations and Call to Action

To avert further loss of life and address the severe regression on the SDGs, the WHO issues the following urgent calls:

1. Provide urgent, sustained, and unhindered access to flood the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food.
2. Expedite the delivery of therapeutic supplies for malnourished children and vulnerable groups, alongside essential medicines.
3. Ensure the protection of all civilians, health workers, and humanitarian personnel.
4. Secure the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and detained WHO staff.
5. Implement an immediate and lasting ceasefire to allow for a large-scale humanitarian response and begin the path to recovery.

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

• The article’s central theme is the severe and worsening malnutrition crisis in the Gaza Strip. It explicitly discusses hunger, starvation, and the lack of access to food, which are the core issues addressed by SDG 2. The call to “flood the Gaza Strip with diverse, nutritious food” directly relates to achieving food security.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article details the severe health consequences of the crisis, including a spike in deaths (especially among children), the overwhelming of health facilities, the exhaustion of health workers, and the dangerous health conditions for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The breakdown of water and sanitation systems, leading to disease, further connects the situation to public health concerns central to SDG 3.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

• The article attributes the crisis to the “deliberate blocking and delay of… humanitarian aid,” which points to a failure of institutions and a violation of humanitarian principles. It also reports over 1060 deaths among people trying to access food, a direct result of violence and a lack of security. The calls for a ceasefire, protection of civilians, and the release of hostages and a detained colleague are all directly related to achieving peace and justice.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

SDG 2: Zero Hunger

1. Target 2.1: End hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round. The article highlights a complete failure to meet this target, citing the “deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food” and families “risk[ing] their lives for a handful of food.”
2. Target 2.2: End all forms of malnutrition… and address the nutritional needs of… children under 5 years of age… pregnant and lactating women. The article provides extensive evidence of this target not being met, detailing that “nearly one in five children under five… is now acutely malnourished” and “over 40% [of pregnant and breastfeeding women] are severely malnourished.”

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.1: Reduce the global maternal mortality ratio. The severe malnourishment of over 40% of pregnant and breastfeeding women described in the article is a critical risk factor that directly undermines the goal of reducing maternal mortality.
2. Target 3.2: End preventable deaths of newborns and children under 5 years of age. The article directly addresses this by reporting “24 children under five” died from malnutrition in July and that Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM), “the most life-threatening form,” is rising. These are preventable deaths.
3. Target 3.8: Achieve universal health coverage, including access to quality essential health-care services. The article describes a health system on the verge of collapse, with specialized centers “working beyond capacity,” running low on fuel and supplies, and families facing “severe access and security constraints preventing many… from reaching health facilities.” This demonstrates a lack of access to essential healthcare.
4. Target 3.d: Strengthen the capacity… for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks. The article points to a failure in managing health risks, noting that the “breakdown of water and sanitation systems is accelerating the spread of disease, driving a dangerous cycle of illness and death.”

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

1. Target 16.1: Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related death rates everywhere. The article provides a stark statistic for this target: “more than 1060 people have been killed and 7200 injured while trying to access food.” The call for a ceasefire is a direct appeal to reduce violence.
2. Target 16.a: Strengthen relevant national institutions… to prevent violence. The mention of “deliberate blocking and delay of… aid” and the need to call for the “protection of civilians” indicates a breakdown of institutions responsible for ensuring safety and providing essential services, highlighting the need for strengthening them through international action.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

Indicators for SDG 2 (Zero Hunger)

• Prevalence of acute malnutrition in children under 5 (GAM): The article states that GAM has tripled since June and that “Nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished.”
• Prevalence of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM): The article reports that of the children admitted for outpatient treatment, “18% of them with Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).”
• Number of children admitted for malnutrition treatment: The article provides figures like “over 5000 children under five have already been admitted for outpatient treatment” in the first two weeks of July.
• Prevalence of severe malnutrition in pregnant and breastfeeding women: The article provides a direct indicator: “over 40% are severely malnourished.”

Indicators for SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being)

• Malnutrition-related mortality rate: The article gives specific numbers: “74 malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, 63 occurred in July – including 24 children under five.”
• Number of inpatient admissions for severe malnutrition: The article states, “73 children with SAM and medical complications were hospitalized in July.”
• Health facility capacity: This is implied as an indicator by the description that the “four specialized malnutrition treatment centres… are working beyond capacity” and are low on fuel and supplies.

Indicators for SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

• Number of civilian deaths and injuries related to conflict/insecurity: The article provides a clear indicator: “more than 1060 people have been killed and 7200 injured while trying to access food.”
• Access for humanitarian aid: This is implied as an indicator by the statement that the crisis is caused by the “deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid.” Measuring the volume and frequency of aid delivery would be a way to track progress.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators Identified in the Article
SDG 2: Zero Hunger	2.1 End hunger and ensure access to food. 2.2 End all forms of malnutrition.	– Prevalence of Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) in children under 5 (“nearly one in five”). – Prevalence of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in children (“18% of admitted children”). – Number of children admitted for malnutrition treatment (“over 5000 in two weeks”). – Prevalence of severe malnutrition in pregnant and breastfeeding women (“over 40%”).
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.1 Reduce maternal mortality. 3.2 End preventable deaths of children under 5. 3.8 Achieve universal health coverage. 3.d Strengthen capacity for health risk management.	– Number of malnutrition-related deaths by age group (“24 children under five,” “38 adults” in July). – Number of hospitalizations for severe malnutrition (“73 children… hospitalized in July”). – Capacity of health facilities (implied by “working beyond capacity,” “running low on fuel”). – Spread of disease due to breakdown of water/sanitation systems (implied).
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions	16.1 Reduce all forms of violence and related death rates. 16.a Strengthen institutions to prevent violence.	– Number of people killed while seeking food (“more than 1060 people have been killed”). – Number of people injured while seeking food (“7200 injured”). – Access for humanitarian aid (implied by “deliberate blocking and delay of… aid”).

Source: emro.who.int