Malnutrition and starvation in Gaza have reached “catastrophic” levels, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said, even though a US-brokered ceasefire is meant partly to let more food and medical supplies into the Strip.
In a statement on Friday marking World Food Day, the Gaza Health Ministry said at least 466 Palestinians have died of malnutrition and starvation since 2024. Children account for one-third of the deaths.
Elderly people account for the largest share, with 189 deaths, or 40.5 percent of the total. The ministry said 11 percent of older people went an entire day without a meal, and 48 percent cut their portions so their families could eat.
The ministry estimated that 74,200 children will need treatment for acute malnutrition through April 2027. It also said anaemia among pregnant women has risen to 61 percent in 2026, from 41 percent before the war began in October 2023. Nearly 4,000 pregnancy losses were recorded in the first half of 2026, more than three times the number in the previous six months.
More than 1.4 million Palestinians, 67 percent of Gaza’s population, are projected to face crisis-level food insecurity or worse through the end of 2026 as winter approaches, the ministry warned.
