One-year-old girl dies from severe malnutrition in central Gaza

A one-and-a-half-year-old girl died on Friday in the central Gaza city of Deir al-Balah from severe malnutrition as a result of Israel's blockade, Wafa news agency reported.

According to health officials, around 17,000 children are currently suffering from acute malnutrition in Gaza.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa) recently warned that child malnutrition has worsened, especially among children under five. Between March and June 2025, Unrwa's clinics conducted nearly 74,000 screenings, identifying around 5,500 cases of moderate acute malnutrition and over 800 cases of severe acute malnutrition.

The UN agency attributed the rise in malnutrition to the ongoing Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has severely restricted the entry of food, medicine and humanitarian aid.