The Gaza Health Ministry reported on Friday that at least 466 Palestinians have died of malnutrition and starvation since 2024, including 155 children, accounting for roughly one-third of the deaths. Elderly Palestinians suffered the largest share, with 189 deaths (40.5 percent of the total). The ministry said 11 percent of older people went a full day without a meal, and 48 percent reduced their own portions so their families could eat.
The ministry estimates that 74,200 children will require treatment for acute malnutrition through April 2027. Malnutrition has also driven anaemia rates among pregnant women to 61 percent in 2026, up from 41 percent before the war began in October 2023. Nearly 4,000 pregnancy losses were recorded in the first half of 2026, more than three times the figure from the previous six months.
More than 1.4 million Palestinians – 67 percent of Gaza's population – are projected to face crisis-level food insecurity or worse through the end of 2026 as winter approaches, the ministry warned.
A UNICEF report published on Friday found that the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, announced last October, had allowed more humanitarian aid and commercial supplies to enter, helping to avert a prolonged famine after it was declared in August 2025. However, UNICEF said gains are fragile and warned that disruption of supplies entering the Strip could worsen the situation.
“The impact on children obviously will be felt if this situation is not resolved,” said Ricardo Pires, a UNICEF spokesperson, urging that crossings remain open and the flow of supplies remain predictable and continuous.