Malnutrition Crisis Claims Life of Infant in Gaza Amid Ongoing Aid Shortages

A five-month-old Palestinian infant, Zeinab Abu Halib, died from severe malnutrition on Friday while her mother attempted to reach a hospital in southern Gaza. The child's mother, Israa Abu Halib, described walking for over 30 minutes in extreme heat without food or water due to a lack of transportation.

Dr. Munir al-Boursh, Director General of the Ministry of Health, stated that Zeinab died from complications of severe malnutrition, and noted that more than 260,000 children under five in Gaza are currently suffering from malnutrition. According to the health ministry, at least 122 people, including 83 children, have died from malnutrition in Gaza since the conflict began in 2023. Most of these deaths have occurred since March, following restrictions on aid deliveries.

Although some aid deliveries resumed in late May, humanitarian organizations report that the amount of assistance remains inadequate. Doctors Without Borders reported that a quarter of children aged six months to five years, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women screened at its Gaza facilities last week, were malnourished. The organization also noted a fourfold increase in the number of people treated for malnutrition since mid-May.