Gaza City | November 30, 2025 :
The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire despite an American-brokered ceasefire, with UNICEF warning that thousands of children continue to face life-threatening malnutrition. In a report released on November 30, 2025, the agency revealed that more than 12,000 children under the age of five are suffering from severe acute malnutrition as aid deliveries remain blocked and essential supplies run dangerously low.
UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell urged the immediate opening of “safe, uninterrupted humanitarian corridors,” stressing that Gaza’s fragile ceasefire has failed to alleviate the deepening food crisis. Gaza Health Minister Mai Al-Kaila reported that Israeli border controls have prevented nearly 70% of critical food and nutrition convoys from entering the enclave, severely hindering relief efforts.
The crisis stems from the 18-month conflict that ended on October 15, 2025, after destroying 80% of Gaza’s farmlands, irrigation systems, and water infrastructure. With 1.9 million people displaced and basic services crippled, international health agencies warn of an accelerating catastrophe. The World Health Organization confirmed that 95 children died from malnutrition-related complications in November alone.
Doctors Without Borders teams have screened more than 150,000 children, finding wasting levels near the emergency threshold. Stunting rates are expected to surge to 30% by mid-2026 if restrictions on humanitarian aid persist.
The ceasefire—mediated by Qatar’s Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty—promised progress on reconstruction. Instead, disputes over rubble removal, import tariffs, and border inspections continue to stall aid delivery. Israeli officials, led by Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, argue that Hamas tunnel networks pose severe security risks. Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has called for stronger international intervention to enforce UN Resolution 2735 on unimpeded aid access.
Donors pledged $2.5 billion at a Paris conference last week, but only 40% has been disbursed. UNICEF’s emergency plan includes deploying mobile clinics to treat 50,000 children each month with therapeutic milk and medical care. However, experts warn that irreversible brain damage and long-term developmental harm loom without immediate action.
Compounding the crisis, summer heatwaves destroyed large quantities of stored food supplies, and Houthi disruptions in the Red Sea have slowed maritime aid routes. As winter approaches, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appealed for urgent accountability from all parties to prevent further loss of life in Gaza’s most vulnerable population.
