Over 17,000 children face severe malnutrition amid Israel's restrictions, hospitals overwhelmed
A 4-year-old Palestinian girl has died of hunger in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid have driven a worsening humanitarian disaster, Palestinian health officials said.
The Palestinian girl, Rezzan Abu Zahir, died due to complications caused by malnutrition and starvation, according to a report by Palestine's official news agency WAFA, citing sources at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the Gaza Strip.
The report stated that hundreds of people of all ages in Gaza's hospitals are suffering from severe hunger and malnutrition.
- 17,000 children in Gaza face severe malnutrition
The report noted that 17,000 children in Gaza are currently experiencing severe malnutrition, and many patients are being treated for stress and memory loss caused by extreme hunger.
Hospitals are reportedly lacking sufficient beds and medications to treat the high number of patients suffering from chronic malnutrition, it said.
The UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) had previously warned that due to Israel's blockade on Gaza, the rate of malnutrition among children aged under 5 had doubled between March and June.
Since March, Israel has closed border crossings and blocked the entry of medical and humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.
In addition to its ongoing military attacks on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, Israel's "starvation policy" has been causing a massive humanitarian disaster in the region.
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