Doctors working with ActionAid International’s partner organization, the Community Return Association, have reported a dramatic surge in cases of severe malnutrition among pregnant and breastfeeding women, as well as young children in Gaza. The crisis, they say, is a direct result of the Zionist entity’s complete blockade on aid, which has now lasted more than 45 days, preventing the entry of food, clean water, and medical supplies, and pushing the population toward starvation.
According to pediatrician Wissal Abu Laban, head of therapeutic nutrition at the association’s hospital in Nuseirat, central Gaza, there has been a significant increase in pregnant and lactating women suffering from moderate to severe malnutrition. This has led to widespread anemia and iron deficiency, resulting in low birth weights—often under 2.5 kilograms—miscarriages, and pregnancy-related hemorrhages. She confirmed that most babies are now born underweight, directly linked to their mothers’ poor nutritional status.
The crisis is also taking a heavy toll on children. Around 60,000 children are now at risk of serious complications from malnutrition, with UNICEF forced to shut down 21 nutrition centers due to Zionist airstrikes and forced evacuations. Medical staff report growing shortages of essential supplies, including anesthesia, antibiotics, and blood units for deliveries.
ActionAid’s Reham Jafari stressed the urgency of the situation, warning that Gaza’s population now faces starvation, in addition to ongoing bombardment. She called for immediate international action to halt the war, withdraw Zionist forces from Gaza, and ensure the unrestricted flow of life-saving aid.
