Gaza starvation deaths reach 466 as malnutrition threatens children, pregnant women and elderly

In a statement marking World Food Day, the ministry said more than 1.4 million Palestinians, approximately 67% of Gaza’s population, face acute food insecurity or worse.

According to the ministry, 158,001 cases of acute malnutrition were recorded among children under five between 2024 and August 2026, including 28,716 severe cases. An estimated 74,200 children will require treatment for acute malnutrition by April 2027.

The crisis has also driven a sharp rise in child mortality, with deaths among children under five increasing from 13.6 per 1,000 live births in 2022 to 33.4 in 2025.

Older people and pregnant women are particularly vulnerable. The ministry recorded 189 starvation-related deaths among the elderly, while anemia among pregnant women rose to 61% in 2026, compared with 41% before the war.

Nearly 4,000 pregnancy losses were also reported during the first half of 2026, with one in three pregnancies classified as high-risk.

The ministry urged the international community and the United Nations to ensure the unrestricted, safe and sustained entry of food, therapeutic nutrition supplies and medicines into Gaza, prioritizing children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly.

It also called for the restoration of local food production, stressing that access to adequate food is a fundamental human right, even during wartime.