Medical sources in the Gaza Strip confirmed Friday that a one-and-a-half-year-old girl has died due to severe malnutrition in Deir Al Balah, central Gaza.
According to the Palestinian News Agency (WAFA), hospitals in Gaza are currently treating hundreds of individuals suffering from acute hunger and malnutrition, many of whom are exhibiting severe symptoms of famine.
The sources indicated that around 17,000 children are suffering from severe malnutrition. Hospitals are also dealing with patients experiencing exhaustion and memory loss caused by extreme hunger.
The medical facilities lack sufficient beds and medications to accommodate the overwhelming number of malnutrition cases.
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) had previously warned that malnutrition among children under the age of five has doubled between March and June, due to the Israeli blockade on the Gaza Strip.
UNRWA confirmed that its health centers and medical points conducted nearly 74,000 screenings for children during this period, identifying approximately 5,500 cases of severe acute malnutrition and more than 800 cases of critical acute malnutrition.
The Gaza Strip continues to face a worsening humanitarian catastrophe, with near-total destruction of infrastructure, collapse of the healthcare system, restricted access to humanitarian aid, and a complete blockade imposed by the Israeli occupation.