NEW YORK /PNN/

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned of a serious deterioration in the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, as the number of children receiving treatment for malnutrition continues to rise.

In a statement released Friday, the UN office reported that the number of children receiving treatment for malnutrition in Gaza has risen to 3,600—an increase from just 2,000 the previous month.

This escalation unfolds against the backdrop of Israel’s ongoing total blockade of the Gaza Strip, in place since March 2, which has effectively halted the entry of food and humanitarian aid.

Mothers and children continue to bear the brunt of relentless hardship as the critical shortage of essential supplies deepens. Displaced families residing in temporary shelters across Khan Yunis are among the most severely impacted, struggling to survive amid acute shortages of food and clean water, conditions that have fueled a disturbing surge in disease among children.

Olga Cherevko, spokesperson for OCHA in Gaza, stated that efforts to alleviate the malnutrition crisis remain insufficient without addressing the root causes of the emergency. She emphasized the urgent need to reopen border crossings and improve living conditions in order to ensure adequate access to food for the population.

Cherevko warned that the continued closure of border crossings for the seventh consecutive week is exacerbating malnutrition rates, particularly among children, and threatens the collapse of life-saving services. She stressed that the situation has become extremely urgent, calling for immediate action to avert an even greater humanitarian catastrophe.