Children Living in the Gaza Strip are at High Risk of Severe Malnutrition

Leen is a 2-year-old girl living in the Gaza Strip. She suffers from severe malnutrition. She was a healthy baby at first but started to suffer from severe acute malnutrition before the ongoing conflict, when she was 6 months old. Leen also started suffering from breathing difficulties. Despite her family's efforts to seek treatment, her condition worsened, followed by significant weight loss and muscle atrophy. However, "before the war escalated, she was actively receiving appropriate medications and undergoing physical therapy, which aided in her weight reaching 11 kilograms," says Leen's father, Gabriel, with a heavy heart. 

Leen’s family was displaced from Khan Yunis by the ongoing war. Cut off from essential medications and adequate nutrition, her health deteriorated rapidly. "After we were displaced, Leen's health took a turn for the worse, lacking access to the necessary medications or adequate food," says Gabriel. From 11 kilograms, Leen now weighs a mere 7 kilograms, a stark indicator of severe malnutrition with complications. Her diet, currently consisting of canned food, is not adapted to her condition. The situation took a graver turn as Leen began to show symptoms of autism, losing her ability to walk, and her overall condition declined further. 

Recognising the severity of Leen's condition, UNICEF and its partners intervened, facilitating her transfer to the Al Awda clinic for specialised care; the medical team anticipated an improvement in her condition within two weeks. "I hope the war will end, and I'll be able to provide the necessary support for my daughter, to see her in a better health condition," expresses Gabriel.

Despite the overwhelming challenges, UNICEF and its partners have made significant achievements in providing nutritional supplies to over 10,300 children. But it is not enough.

UNICEF continues to address the malnutrition situation and deliver nutritional supplies with the support of the French Development Agency (AFD), the UN Emergency Fund (CERF), the World Bank and the Governments of Croatia, Germany, Norway, and Spain. Furthermore, UNICEF benefited from Global Humanitarian Thematic Funding, which enables UNICEF to respond flexibly to the acute nutrition needs of the most vulnerable children and their families in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

UNICEF, in collaboration with the World Food Programme (WFP) and the World Health Organization (WHO), underscore the critical need for safe and unobstructed delivery of humanitarian assistance across the Gaza Strip. Humanitarian actors must be able to supply nutritious foods, nutrition supplements, and essential services to malnourished and at-risk populations. It is also key to protect hospitals and health workers to ensure the continued provision of crucial treatment and care and save the lives of children like Leen.