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The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza said hunger in the Gaza Strip has reached "catastrophic levels", with children, older people and pregnant women facing severe malnutrition as Israel's military campaign continues. The ministry has accused Israel of committing genocide and war crimes in the territory.

In a statement issued for World Food Day on October 16, the ministry called on the United Nations and the international community to secure safe, uninterrupted and unrestricted entry of food, medical supplies and medicine into the strip.

Children face acute malnutrition

Figures from August 2026 show that 158,000 children in the Gaza Strip are suffering from acute malnutrition, 28,000 of them in life-threatening condition. Stunting affects 12.2% of children, according to the ministry.

The ministry projects that by April 2027, 74,200 children will need medication treatment for acute malnutrition.

Older people skip meals and cut medication

Older people are also badly affected by hunger and malnutrition. Eleven percent go through the day without eating at all, while 48% are forced to share their food with family members. Among those who cannot obtain medicines, 68% have stopped treatment or reduced their doses.

The ministry's report expects more than 1.4 million people across the Gaza Strip, above all in Gaza City, to face a food crisis by the end of 2026.

One in three pregnant women has a high-risk pregnancy

Anemia among pregnant women rose from 41% before the attacks that began in 2023 to 61% afterward, in a territory Israel has kept under blockade for years. Malnutrition, harsh living conditions and an unhealthy environment are driving up miscarriages, and one in three women is now classified as having a high-risk pregnancy.

Ministry urges action from the UN and donors

The ministry said access to food is a basic human right that cannot be violated even under wartime conditions, and urged the United Nations and the international community to act. Emergency steps are needed to allow food, medical supplies and medicine into the Gaza Strip without restriction or interruption, the statement said.

Deliveries should give priority to children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and older people, and the international community should support the revival of local food production in the strip, according to the statement.

Wider toll of the offensive

More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 175,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip since October 2023, and about 90% of the territory's infrastructure has been destroyed, according to the figures cited by the ministry.

Key takeaways

• 158,000 children suffer acute malnutrition in Gaza, 28,000 of them in life-threatening condition, according to August 2026 figures.
• Eleven percent of older people eat nothing all day, and 68% of those short of medicine have stopped or reduced treatment.
• Anemia among pregnant women rose from 41% to 61%, with one in three pregnancies now classed as high-risk.
• The ministry urged the UN and the international community to allow unrestricted food and medical aid and to prioritize children, pregnant women, nursing mothers and older people.