Malnutrition in Gaza could rise exponentially, UNRWA official says
Palestinians gather to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Jan 2, 2025.
PHOTO: Reuters file
PUBLISHED ONMay 20, 2025 9:48 AM
GENEVA — Malnutrition rates in Gaza have risen during a more than 11-week Israeli blockade and could rise exponentially if food shortages continue, a health official at the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA said on Tuesday (May 20).
"I have data until end of April and it shows malnutrition on the rise," Akihiro Seita, UNRWA Director of Health, told a Geneva press briefing. "And then the worry is that if the current food shortage continues, it will exponentially increase, and then get beyond our control."
Palestinians queue to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen, amid a hunger crisis, as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Nov 24, 2024.
PHOTO: Reuters file
Israel cleared nine trucks of aid on Monday to enter Gaza through the Kerem Shalom crossing although aid workers said just five entered.