Gaza - Saba:
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, with the number of children receiving treatment for malnutrition increasing.
The office said in a statement that the number of children receiving treatment for malnutrition has risen to 3,600, compared to only 2,000 children last month.
This worsening situation comes amid the ongoing complete Israeli closure of the Strip since March 2, which has halted the entry of food and humanitarian aid. Mothers and children in Gaza face daily suffering due to the severe shortage of basic supplies.
Meanwhile, displaced families in temporary displacement camps in Khan Yunis are suffering from a severe shortage of food and clean water, which has led to the spread of diseases among children.
OCHA spokesperson in Gaza, Olga Cherevko, said that efforts to alleviate the malnutrition crisis are not sufficient without addressing the root causes of the crisis, stressing the need to reopen the crossings and improve living conditions to provide adequate food for the population.
Cherevko warned that the continued closure of the crossings for the seventh consecutive week is exacerbating malnutrition rates, especially among children, and threatens the collapse of life-saving services. She noted that the situation has become extremely urgent, calling for immediate action to avert a greater humanitarian catastrophe.
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