UN says Gaza malnutrition gains fragile as Israel halts commercial shipments

UNICEF warned Friday that gains against malnutrition in Gaza remain fragile after Israel halted commercial shipments on Wednesday, citing a tax dispute between local merchants and Hamas. A new UNICEF report found acute malnutrition rates have fallen but remain a risk, with only one in three children under two achieving minimum dietary diversity. Some 800,000 children remain displaced.

UNICEF warned on Friday that gains against malnutrition in Gaza remain fragile and could be undermined by disruptions to supplies, after Israel halted commercial shipments on Wednesday. Israel said the halt was due to a tax dispute between local merchants and Hamas. The cutoff cuts off a vital source of food and other goods in Gaza, where most depend on humanitarian assistance after three years of war, displacement, and Israeli restrictions on aid. A new UNICEF report found that while the ceasefire since October has allowed more aid and commercial supplies to enter, acute malnutrition remains a risk. The report said progress against the threat of famine, confirmed in August last year, had been achieved through scaled-up food and nutrition response and eased restrictions, but those gains remain fragile. UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires said the flow of supplies must remain predictable and continuous, warning that children will feel the impact if the situation is not resolved. The report also noted that only one in three children under two achieves minimum dietary diversity, and one in eight under five suffers from chronic malnutrition. UNICEF called for improved living conditions for some 800,000 displaced children as winter approaches.