Child deaths from extreme hunger mount as the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to deteriorate

• More than half a million children are now just a step away from famine.  

• Two out of every five children facing famine are also experiencing “an extreme lack of food, starvation, and exhaustion of coping capacities”. 

International aid agency World Vision responds to the news from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification’s (IPC) latest report with a warning that every day without a lasting end to the violence and unimpeded access, allowing for increased humanitarian assistance that thousands of Gazan children could die of starvation or related diseases. Those who do survive will likely endure long-term physical and mental health challenges.  

The hunger crisis in Gaza has declined further, putting nearly half a million more children at risk of death. The IPC’s latest report shows that even though famine is not currently occurring, the most extreme levels of hunger are now found in all parts of Gaza, putting everyone everywhere at “high risk of famine”. More than half a million children are just a step away from famine, experiencing ‘emergency’ or ‘catastrophic’ conditions. Two out of every five of these children are also experiencing “an extreme lack of food, starvation, and exhaustion of coping capacities”. 

“There is a high and sustained risk of famine across the whole Gaza Strip” since the situation began deteriorating in May. The report proves that reliable humanitarian access and the deployment of nutrition interventions are able to avert famine, which should encourage world leaders to take further necessary action to save children as the earlier “improvements could be rapidly reversed” if they do not.  

“It is shocking that, the humanitarian needs in Gaza have reached catastrophic levels over the past eight months, and children are the ones who will continue to be disproportionately affected,” says Eleanor Monbiot, World Vision Regional Leader, Middle East Eastern Europe. 

“Extreme hunger and child deaths are preventable if appropriate urgent humanitarian support reaches them. The IPC’s latest report shows that time has already run out for more than half a million Gazan children and will soon run out for a half million more.” 

Secure access and humanitarian workers’ safety must be prioritised in order to ensure lifesaving aid reaches children in danger.   

“Amidst this conflict, children’s safety must remain the top priority. It is heartbreaking that while aid awaits distribution, children are in danger of starving to death. World Vision is calling for the urgent mobilisation of the international community to put an urgent end to this devastating crisis and rapid mobilisation of adequate aid.” 

ENDS 

Notes to editor:    

• More than half a million children are a step away from famine. This calculation is based on the number of people currently experiencing acute food insecurity conditions (IPC 4+) (1.24 million) multiplied by the proportion of children in Gaza (49%), equalling 607,600.  

• Two out of every five of the children facing famine are also experiencing “an extreme lack of food, starvation, and exhaustion of coping capacities”. This calculation is based on the proportion of children (49%) within the group of people already experiencing IPC 5 ‘catastrophic’ levels of acute food insecurity (495,000). The number of children facing IPC 5 conditions (242,550) was divided by the total number of children who are considered to be a step away from famine (607,600), equalling (39.9% - i.e. two out of five).  

• Nearly half a million more children are at risk of death. This calculation is based on the difference between the number of children in northern Gaza (147,000) previously at risk of famine and the number of children at risk of famine today (607,600), equalling 460,600.  

• The IPC is an apolitical global mechanism allowing governments, United Nations (UN) agencies, non-governmental organisations, civil society, and other relevant actors to work together to determine the severity and magnitude of acute and chronic food insecurity, and acute malnutrition situations in a country, according to internationally-recognised scientific standards. 

• World Vision delivers critical humanitarian assistance to vulnerable children and their families in the West Bank and across the region, including lifesaving in-kind food and cash and voucher assistance; access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene needs; safe spaces; psychosocial support to affected children and their families; education opportunities for children out of school due to conflict; and resilience-building activities.  

• Through World Vision’s Global Hunger Response and ENOUGH campaign, the organisation is responding to the immediate needs of the most vulnerable girls, boys, and their families who are experiencing acute hunger in 28 countries of highest alert where World Vision operates, highlighting the driving factors and impacts of hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity on children globally, and advocating to governments and donors to do more to prevent mass starvation.  

For more information please contact: World Vision’s Middle East Crisis Response, Communications & Advocacy Senior Advisor, Micah Branaman, micah_branaman@wvi.org   

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian and development organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities to reach their full potential by tackling the root causes of poverty and injustice. World Vision serves all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.   

For more information, please visit www.wvi.org or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter, @WorldVision