The Palestinian Ministry of Health warned on Friday that malnutrition and starvation rates in the Gaza Strip have reached catastrophic levels, claiming the lives of children, the elderly, and vulnerable groups. The Ministry stated in a statement via its Telegram channel that since 2024, 466 deaths due to malnutrition and starvation have been recorded as the Strip enters its third year under war.
The Ministry pointed to projections that more than 1.4 million citizens, or 67% of the population, will face food crisis levels or worse by the end of 2026, following the official declaration of famine in Gaza Governorate in August 2025. The Ministry noted that 157 children died due to malnutrition, representing one-third of total starvation deaths, adding that 158,001 cases of severe malnutrition were recorded among children under five between 2024 and August of this year.
Rise in Child Mortality
The statement revealed that the child mortality rate under five rose from 13.6 to 33.4 per thousand live births between 2022 and 2025, while 12.2% of children suffer from stunting. The statement predicted that 74,200 children will need treatment for severe malnutrition until next April, with 28,716 life-threatening cases recorded.
Danger of Pregnancy and Anemia
The statement also indicated that the rate of anemia among pregnant Palestinian women rose to 61% in 2026, up from 41% before the war. Palestinian Health confirmed the recording of nearly 4,000 pregnancy loss cases in the first half of 2026, equivalent to more than three times the previous six months, with one in three pregnancies classified as high-risk.
Elderly and International Appeal
According to the statement, the elderly represent the highest proportion of malnutrition deaths, with 189 elderly individuals accounting for 40.5% of total deaths. The Ministry stressed that access to food is an inherent human right that is not forfeited by war, calling on the international community to take immediate and urgent action to ensure the safe, sustainable, and unrestricted entry of food, therapeutic supplements, and medicines.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health report comes today, October 16, which is World Food Day, at a time when Palestinians continue to face the harshest practices of killing, starvation, siege, and deprivation of basic human rights at the hands of the Israeli occupation authorities.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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