Tens of thousands of children and women in Gaza urgently require treatment for malnutrition, according to the United Nations, as food aid continues to enter the besieged territory in extremely limited quantities. Gaza’s civil defence agency confirmed several infant deaths from starvation over the past week, citing lack of baby formula and basic healthcare as critical issues.

Displaced residents describe dire conditions, with families struggling to find food amid skyrocketing prices. “Our children cry for food and go to sleep hungry,” said Ziad Musleh, a father in Nuseirat. At a UN shelter-turned-distribution site, children were seen banging plates in desperation as they waited for limited food supplies.

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported flour prices have risen 3,000 times higher than pre-war levels. WFP Director Carl Skau, who recently visited Gaza, described the situation as “the worst I’ve ever seen,” noting that people are starving despite food being available just across the border.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF) has recorded unprecedented cases of malnutrition, especially among pregnant women and children. Premature births are increasing, with overcrowded neonatal units forcing multiple infants to share incubators. Doctors warn that protein deficiency is weakening immune systems, leading to prolonged infections and delayed healing.