Gaza: Children still at risk despite drop in acute hunger

Among tent cities pitched on the rubble of destroyed homes in Gaza, children are, by one measure, finally getting enough to eat. By another, however, many of them may never fully recover, according to a new study by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released on Monday.Key pointsFamine was reported in August 2025 following two years of the Hamas-Israel war that saw Israel severely restrict entry of food into the Occupied Palestinian Territory and launch attacks that destroyed 87 per cent of croplandAfter the October 2025 ceasefire, Israel has allowed more humanitarian aid into Gaza, which in turn experienced increased food securityFurther improvements were seen between 31 May and 15 June 2026, with only around one per cent of children now showing signs of acute malnutrition, or severe wasting, but long-term effects of acute hunger remainHunger damage may be permanentAccording to the new UNICEF survey, 12.2 per cent – one in eight children – were chronically malnourished, or stunted, reflecting the cumulative toll of more than two years of war even as humanitarian aid had scaled up since the October 2025 ceasefire.For the latter group, the damage may be permanent: stunting can affect a...