Schätzungen einer Lancet-Studie zufolge sind fast 55.000 Kinder im Vorschulalter in Gaza akut unterernährt. Studie zeigt klaren Zusammenhang zwischen israelischen Hilfsbeschränkungen und Unterernährung bei Kindern im Alter zwischen sechs Monaten und fünf Jahren.

I’ve linked to the news release in the post above. In this comment, for those interested, here’s the link to the peer reviewed journal article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)01820-3/abstract

Summary

Background

Since October, 2023, Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip have suffered war-induced displacement, food insecurity, malnutrition, and elevated risks of famine and mortality. In this study, we aimed to document the extent of, and patterns in, wasting malnutrition in children aged 6–59 months across the Gaza Strip between January, 2024, and August, 2025.

Methods

This longitudinal, cross-sectional, surveillance study was conducted across a total of 16 UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East health centres and 78 medical points established within school shelters and tent encampments across the five governorates of Gaza. Children aged 6–59 months were screened for wasting malnutrition by mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) measurement. Children with a MUAC of less than 125 mm were enrolled into therapeutic feeding regimens. MUAC Z scores were derived from published WHO age-specific and sex-specific arm circumferential growth curves. Monthly prevalence of acute wasting (MUAC Z scores less than –2) and severe wasting (MUAC Z scores less than –3) were described by age, sex, type of screening facility, and governorate.

Findings

Between Jan 1, 2024, and Aug 15, 2025, 265 974 measurements were obtained from 219 783 uniquely identified children, with two-thirds of children screened in Khan Younis and Middle Governorates. The monthly prevalence of acute wasting ranged from 5% (34 of 722 children) to 7% (794 of 10 907) between January and June, 2024. After approximately 4 months of severe aid restrictions between September, 2024, and mid-January, 2025, the prevalence of wasting increased from 8·8% (1601 of 18 225 children) to 14·3% (1661 of 11 619), with the highest prevalence observed in Rafah (32·2%; 95 of 295) and among children aged 24–59 months (21·0%; 1366 of 6518). After a 6-week ceasefire, marked by a substantial increase in the number of aid trucks entering through territory borders, by March, 2025, the prevalence of wasting had declined to 5·5% (831 of 15 165). However, after an 11-week blockade from March to May, 2025, and continued severely restricted entry of food, water, medicines, fuel, and other essentials thereafter, by early August, 2025, 15·8% (1213 of 7668) of screened children were acutely wasted, including 3·7% (280 of 7668) severely wasted, equating to more than 54 600 children in need of therapeutic care.

Interpretation

After nearly 2 years of war and severe restrictions in humanitarian aid, tens of thousands of preschool-aged children in the Gaza Strip are suffering from preventable acute malnutrition and facing an increased risk of mortality.

From the linked article:

**Almost 55,000 preschool children in Gaza acutely malnourished, Lancet study estimates**

**Study shows clear link between Israeli aid restrictions and malnutrition among children aged between six months and five years**

Almost 55,000 children under the age of six in Gaza are estimated to be acutely malnourished, far more than have so far been identified as victims of the potentially lethal condition, a study published in the Lancet, the respected international medical periodical, has revealed.

The study, published on Wednesday, and led by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (Unrwa), offers a month-by-month breakdown through much of the two-year conflict, and shows for the first time a clear link between Israeli restrictions on supplies entering Gaza and levels of malnutrition among children.