Gaza: Health authorities in the Gaza Strip have warned that approximately 60,000 children are currently suffering from life-threatening malnutrition due to the ongoing closure of border crossings by Israel. The blockade has severely restricted the entry of food, humanitarian aid, and medical supplies into the besieged territory.

In an official statement issued on Wednesday, Gaza-based health officials said that the prolonged disruption has dangerously limited access to essential nutrition and healthcare services, putting thousands of young lives at immediate risk.

The situation is further worsened by the lack of clean water and the suspension of vaccination campaigns, including those against the poliovirus, which could trigger a wider public health crisis.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), all crossings into Gaza have remained completely shut for humanitarian and commercial deliveries since March 2. The UN has described this as the longest uninterrupted closure since the renewed hostilities between Israel and Hamas began in October 2023.