From the devastated enclave, UNICEF Communication Manager Tess Ingram reported that at least 165 children have suffered “painful, preventable deaths” due to malnutrition in the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel.
Acute hunger among pregnant and breastfeeding women is another overlooked issue, causing a “devastating domino effect” on thousands of newborns due to poor diets.
“In Gaza’s hospitals, I have encountered several newborns weighing less than one kilogram, struggling to survive,” Ms. Ingram stated.
Born into danger
Addressing journalists in Geneva via video link, she explained that low birthweight infants face around 20 times higher risk of mortality compared to those of normal weight.
Previously, in 2022, an estimated 250 babies a month, or about five percent, were born under 2.5 kilograms according to Gaza’s Ministry of Health.
In the first half of 2025, despite fewer births, that number increased to 10 percent, or roughly 300 babies per month, peaking at 460 in the months preceding the ceasefire.
This equates to about 15 daily, nearly double the pre-war average.
“Low birthweight often results from poor maternal nutrition, increased stress, and inadequate antenatal care,” Ms. Ingram explained.
“These issues are rampant in Gaza, and the current response is insufficient in speed and scale.”
Reality of war
In October alone, 8,300 pregnant and breastfeeding women were treated for acute malnutrition, “in a region previously free from such malnutrition before October 2023,” the UNICEF spokesperson noted.
She warned that this trend indicates ongoing low birthweight cases in Gaza for months to come.
The UN is responding by replacing vital equipment like incubators and ventilators damaged in the conflict. UNICEF is also distributing supplements to tens of thousands of women and screening children for malnutrition.
However, there is an urgent need for more aid to enter the Gaza Strip.
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) identified “persistent impediments” hampering aid delivery to the most vulnerable, including security issues, customs delays, and transportation challenges within Gaza.
Rafah call
Ms. Ingram said opening the Rafah crossing in southern Gaza could boost the flow of humanitarian aid and reduce childhood malnutrition.
“We need all types of aid, especially nutritious food through commercial avenues,” she emphasized, indicating the need to restock local markets with more goods to reduce prices and make essentials like fruits, vegetables, meat, and dairy affordable.
The UNICEF spokesperson highlighted that the ceasefire, which began on 10 October, should ensure family safety but noted that over 70 children have died since.
“Generations, including those born during this ceasefire, are permanently affected by the conflict,” she said, observing its generational impacts daily in hospitals and clinics.
“Though less visible than injuries, its presence is pervasive,” she added.
Ms. Ingram emphasized the “domino effect from mother to child” resulting from malnutrition, stress, and displacement, which could have been prevented.
“No child should be marred by war before birth,” she said, referencing the conflict’s harsh reality and “Israeli aid restrictions that depleted hospitals and stressed mothers.”
“Much suffering could have been avoided if international humanitarian laws were upheld,” she concluded.
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