More than 9,000 children in Gaza were hospitalised in October 2025 for severe acute malnutrition — a stark indication that the humanitarian crisis gripping the enclave remains far from over.
The figures come from UNICEF, the United Nations children’s agency. According to its spokesperson, in October, around 9,300 children were admitted for treatment — a decrease from a peak of 14,000 in August, but still far higher than during the February–March 2025 ceasefire. This October total is roughly five times greater than admissions during the earlier truce period, underscoring the inadequacy of current relief efforts.
The crisis does not only affect young children. In the same month, around 8,300 pregnant and breastfeeding women were also hospitalised for malnutrition. UNICEF has warned of a “devastating domino effect,” warning that the shortage of nutritious food for mothers threatens to produce low-birthweight babies and long-term developmental harm.
Though a ceasefire was declared on 10 October — a move that was expected to ease humanitarian suffering — aid agencies say that restrictions and logistical bottlenecks continue to severely restrict the flow of essential supplies, especially food and medical nutrition aid.
Data gathered by United Nations bodies and health organizations indicate that the overall nutrition status in Gaza remains dire. As of mid-2025, hundreds of thousands of children under the age of five were at risk of acute malnutrition. Over 54,600 children in this age group were estimated to be suffering from malnutrition, with more than 12,800 severely affected — conditions that translate into heightened risks of long-term health complications or mortality.
The ongoing malnutrition surge in Gaza is closely tied to repeated restrictions on humanitarian aid shipments, as well as the destruction of infrastructure and livelihoods after two years of war. Researchers say that restricted food access, limited healthcare availability and the collapse of basic services have combined to produce a nutritional emergency of massive scale.
In recent months — including during the ceasefire — aid deliveries have remained far below what is required to meet the urgent needs of Gaza’s population. While some commercial shipments and bilateral donations have increased, the majority of residents remain unable to access them due to widespread unemployment, depleted savings and soaring prices of basic commodities.
Aid officials, health experts and UN agencies have repeatedly sounded the alarm: without a significant scale-up in aid, including unrestricted access to food, therapeutic nutrition and medical services, thousands more children and pregnant women risk severe health consequences — possibly even death.
The continuing plight of Gaza’s children paints a grim portrait: a ceasefire may have halted active fighting, but for many families, the war’s aftermath continues in the form of hunger, malnutrition and deepening humanitarian despair.
