FAMAGUSTA GAZETTE — Ongoing hostilities in Gaza have sharply limited humanitarian access and triggered a spike in child malnutrition, the United Nations has said.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported that more than 5,100 children under age five were treated for acute malnutrition in May — a 50% increase from April and a 150% jump from February, when a ceasefire allowed greater aid access.
More than 16,700 children received treatment for malnutrition in the first five months of the year, UNICEF said, adding that all were preventable cases blocked by restricted deliveries of food, water and nutrition supplies.
UN agencies said over 1,000 truckloads of life-saving goods are stalled outside Gaza’s borders. Only 12 of 21 humanitarian convoy requests were approved by Israeli authorities, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Fuel shortages remain critical, though a limited supply was distributed to southern Gaza this week to keep essential water and sanitation services running.
OCHA warned that overcrowding, displacement orders, and ongoing military operations have left many areas overwhelmed, while efforts to restore telecommunications in the south are still under way.
In the West Bank, OCHA also raised alarms over a new Israeli policy rejecting construction permits in Masafer Yatta, a move it said could accelerate displacement of over 1,200 Palestinians.