Malnutrition in the Gaza Strip has reached a critical tipping point, with a sharp rise in related deaths recorded in July, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned.
Of the 74 malnutrition-linked deaths documented in 2025, 63 occurred last month—including 24 children under five, one child over five, and 38 adults. Most victims were pronounced dead upon arrival at health facilities or died shortly after, their bodies showing severe signs of wasting, underscoring the crisis’s urgency.
WHO emphasizes that the catastrophe is entirely preventable, blaming deliberate obstruction and delays in delivering large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid for the mounting death toll.
Children remain among the most vulnerable. In Gaza City, nearly one in five children under five now suffers from acute malnutrition, according to data from Nutrition Cluster partners. Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM)—a metric tracking acute malnutrition in children aged 6–59 months—has tripled since June, making Gaza City the worst-hit area in the strip.
Rates have also doubled in Khan Younis and the Middle Area in less than a month, though these figures are likely undercounts due to severe access and security barriers preventing families from reaching health facilities.
The surge in cases is staggering: In the first two weeks of July alone, over 5,000 children under five were admitted for outpatient malnutrition treatment, with 18% suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)—the most life-threatening form. This continues a worrying upward trend that began in May: June saw 6,500 child admissions, the highest monthly total since October 2023.
Inpatient cases are also spiking. July saw 73 children with SAM and medical complications hospitalized, up from 39 in June, bringing 2025’s total inpatient admissions to 263. Gaza’s only four specialized malnutrition treatment centers are overwhelmed, operating beyond capacity with dwindling fuel supplies projected to run out by mid-August.
Exhausted health workers, coupled with collapsed water and sanitation systems, are fueling disease spread, creating a deadly cycle of illness and death that pushes Gaza’s fragile health system closer to collapse.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women are enduring severe hardship, too. Recent Nutrition Cluster screenings reveal over 40% are severely malnourished. The crisis is most acute in the Middle Area, where rates have tripled since June, and in Gaza City and Khan Younis, where rates have doubled.
The toll extends beyond hunger itself: Desperate families risking their lives to secure food have faced deadly consequences. Since May 27, more than 1,060 people have been killed and 7,200 injured while attempting to access food supplies.
WHO is urging immediate, sustained action to flood Gaza with diverse, nutritious food, accelerate delivery of therapeutic supplies for children and vulnerable groups, and ensure a steady flow of essential medicines. The organization stresses that aid must remain unimpeded to support recovery and prevent further deterioration. It also reiterates calls for civilian and health worker protection, the release of detained staff and hostages, and an immediate ceasefire.
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