Gaza: Continuing hostilities hamper efforts to combat malnutrition

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that hostilities in Gaza continue to hamper efforts to combat malnutrition, provide treatment to hundreds of children, and detect new cases, with its partners reporting that nearly half of the treatment centers there have closed.

On Friday, the Ministry of Health in Gaza announced the deaths of 162 people, including 32 children, due to hunger and malnutrition since famine was confirmed in the governorate on August 22.

In light of the ongoing Israeli operations throughout the Strip and the severe shortage of medical care, the Ministry called on Gaza residents to donate blood, while the Palestinian Civil Defense reported that it had carried out more than 50 rescue missions over the past ten days.

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric made this statement during his daily press conference, stressing the need to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure at all times, “and never to be a target…or used as a shield for military operations.”

Meanwhile, the increasing number of people moving south in the Strip is placing increasing pressure on services available in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah, which are experiencing “dire conditions.” Dujarric described the scene, saying: “Our partners say people are crammed into tents along the beach, crammed into schools and shelters, and sleeping out in the open in the rubble of destroyed buildings and homes. Although aid organizations are overwhelmed, we continue to serve those in need as best we can.”