GAZA, (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) has sounded the alarm over a deepening health crisis in the Gaza Strip, warning of rising malnutrition and unprecedented genetic changes in newborns due to the ongoing Israeli blockade.
In a statement on Sunday, UNRWA said its clinics are witnessing a sharp increase in malnutrition, especially among children and vulnerable groups, since Israel tightened its siege in March.
The UN agency warned that the near-total collapse of Gaza’s health infrastructure, combined with severe shortages of food and medicine, is pushing the population toward catastrophe.
UNRWA called on the international community to act immediately to ensure the delivery of vital aid and end the suffering. It stressed that more than 90% of Gaza’s population now suffers from malnutrition.
UNRWA spokesperson Adnan Abu Hasna told Al-Arabiya TV that around 70,000 children are malnourished and premature babies are being born with genetic mutations not seen before in Gaza, likely due to starvation, trauma, and environmental contamination.
“There are no medicines in hospitals, and exhausted medical staff are working under deadly conditions,” he said, adding that victims in Israeli occupation forces’ bombardment have exceeded 110 persons per day.
UN agencies and rights groups have condemned the blockade as collective punishment, warning it violates international law. Experts fear the long-term health effects, including birth defects and developmental disorders among Gaza’s children.
UNRWA reiterated its call for a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian access, and international accountability to prevent further loss of life and irreversible damage to Gaza’s population.
