UNICEF: At least 10,000 children in Gaza face most life-threatening form of malnutrition

At least 10,000 children under five years will suffer the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, known as severe wasting, and will need therapeutic foods, the International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) warned.

"This unacceptable risk comes at a time when the Gaza Strips food and health systems are facing complete collapse. More than 80% of young children are experiencing severe food poverty, and more than two-thirds of hospitals are no longer functioning because of the lack of fuel, water, and vital medical supplies or because they sustained catastrophic damage in attacks," UNICEF said in a statement.

"We are also particularly concerned about the nutrition of over 155,000 pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, as well as for over 135,000 children under two, given their specific nutrition needs, which are compounded by stress and trauma," it added.

The UNICEF statement follows the UN Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) which warned the world of the very high risk of famine in the Gaza Strip, increasing every day if the situation persists.

Specifically, the IPC report said at least 1 in 4 households in Gaza Strip, or more than half a million people, are facing catastrophic levels of acute food insecurity, the highest level of warning.

"These entirely manmade, foreseeable, and preventable catastrophic conditions mean that children and families in the Gaza Strip are now facing violence from the air, and deprivation from the ground - with potentially the worst yet to come," the report said.

The report also said that almost 1.2 million people are experiencing emergency levels of acute food insecurity and acknowledged that famine thresholds for acute food insecurity have already been exceeded. In short, this means for many families in Gaza, the threat of dying from hunger is already real. (QNA)