The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning over the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, stating that malnutrition rates have reached “alarming levels” and that the crisis remains “entirely preventable.” The agency attributed the escalating death toll to the deliberate blocking and delay of humanitarian aid, which it said has cost many lives.
In a statement released Sunday, the WHO reported a sharp spike in malnutrition-related deaths in July, with 63 of the 74 total malnutrition deaths in 2025 occurring in that month alone. Among the dead were 24 children under five, one child over five, and 38 adults. Most of the victims were declared dead on arrival at healthcare facilities or died shortly after, showing visible signs of severe wasting.
The UN health agency emphasised the urgent need to restore unimpeded and sustained humanitarian access to the region. It called for the immediate delivery of diverse, nutritious food, therapeutic supplies, and essential medicines, especially for children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and other vulnerable populations.
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“The crisis remains entirely preventable,” the WHO stated. “Deliberate blocking and delay of large-scale food, health, and humanitarian aid has cost many lives.”
Although Israel on Sunday announced a limited “tactical pause” in military operations to allow aid deliveries, the WHO said this was not enough. It urged for consistent humanitarian access to “flood” Gaza with the necessary supplies to curb the crisis and prevent further deterioration.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the situation last week as “mass starvation, and it’s man-made.”
Citing its Nutrition Cluster partners, the WHO reported that nearly one in five children under five in Gaza City is now acutely malnourished, with rates tripling since June, making the city the worst-hit area in the Palestinian territory.
The first two weeks of July alone saw over 5,000 children under five admitted for outpatient treatment for malnutrition, 18% of them suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM), the most life-threatening form. In June, 6,500 children were admitted for malnutrition treatment, the highest since the war began in October 2023. An additional 73 children with SAM and medical complications were hospitalised in July, up from 39 in June.
Only four specialised treatment centres in Gaza are currently handling this overwhelming surge in cases, the WHO noted. Meanwhile, the collapse of water and sanitation infrastructure continues to drive illness, further compounding the health crisis.
