Gaza, (UNI) At least 99 people died of starvation in the Gaza Strip in 2025, including 29 children, with the actual figures expected to be much higher, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said on Thursday.
“So far, this year, 99 people have died from malnutrition, including 29 children under five. These reported numbers are likely underestimates,” he told a closed-door briefing in Geneva.
On July 23, the WHO reported a sharp rise in malnutrition-related deaths in Gaza. Acute malnutrition affects over 10% of the population, while more than 20% of pregnant and breastfeeding women tested suffer from often severe forms of malnutrition, Tedros said. He warned that the hunger crisis was worsening due to restrictions on aid access to Gaza.
On Monday, Gaza authorities said that Israel permitted only 674 aid trucks to enter the Gaza Strip since July 27, meeting just 14% of the enclave’s needs. To adequately address the basic requirements for food, fuel, and medicines, at least 600 trucks should be allowed into Gaza daily, they estimated.
