STORY: The United Nations warned on Sunday (July 20) of a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with a sharp rise in malnourished children admitted to Rantisi Children’s Hospital due to severe shortages of food and medical supplies.

“Critical cases are now arriving at Rantisi Hospital that require admission and proper treatment,” Dr. Ragheb Warshagha, head of gastroenterology at the hospital, told the UN.

“Mothers themselves suffer from malnutrition and lack of milk, which leads to child malnutrition—especially in weight. This, in turn, causes severe infections and, sometimes, death due to weakened immunity from poor nutrition.”

The UN said infants like Sham Maqattah are among those suffering.

“There is no milk, and I don’t have the nutrition to breastfeed her naturally,” Sham’s mother told the UN.

“Her health has deteriorated... We hope that milk and diapers for children will be allowed in, and that crossings will open to bring in food.”

Another mother, whose son Hussam al-Turamsi was admitted on Friday and is surviving on IV fluids, described the conditions as dire.

“Because of the current situation, there is no milk, no food, no water. This is famine. I cannot meet my child’s needs,” she told the UN.

The UN also documented families with twins struggling to find milk.

“My two children are suffering from severe malnutrition. We can’t find milk for them, and we don’t know what to do,” one father told the UN.

In internally displaced persons camps, the UN observed people scavenging for scraps after community kitchens ran out of supplies, with one woman holding up a bag of pulses and asking, “Is this even edible? Have mercy on us, have mercy on our children.”

On May 19, Israel lifted an 11-week aid blockade on Gaza, allowing limited U.N. deliveries to resume. However, UNRWA continues to be banned from bringing aid into the enclave.

COGAT, the Israeli military aid coordination agency, said that it has helped facilitate 67,000 food trucks to enter Gaza, delivering 1.5 million tons of food, including infant formula and baby food.

It said that about 2,000 tons of baby food have been brought into Gaza through the crossings in recent weeks, following requests by international aid organizations.

Israel and the United States have accused Palestinian militant group Hamas of stealing from U.N.-led aid operations - which Hamas denies. They have instead set up the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, using private U.S. security and logistics firms to transport aid to distribution hubs, which the U.N. has refused to work with.

UNICEF said that last month more than 5,800 children were diagnosed with malnutrition in Gaza, including more than 1,000 children with severe, acute malnutrition. It said it was an increase for the fourth month in a row.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: VARIOUS OF MALNOURISHED BABIES IN HOSPITAL / SOUNDBITES FROM PARENTS / SOUNDBITE FROM DOCTOR TREATING MALNOURISHED BABIES / TWIN BABIES BEING TREATED FOR MALNUTRITION IN RANTISI CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL IN GAZA / PEOPLE GATHERING FOR FOOD IN INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: GAZA CITY, GAZA (JULY 20, 2025) (UNIFEED - Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF RANTISI CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

2. VARIOUS OF HEAD OF GASTROENTEROLOGY DEPARTMENT AT RANTISI SPECIALIZED CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, DR. RAGHEB WARSHAGHA, AT HIS OFFICE

3. VARIOUS OF WARSHAGHA EXAMINING MALNOURISHED CHILDREN

4. WARSHAGHA AT HIS OFFICE

5. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HEAD OF GASTROENTEROLOGY DEPARTMENT AT RANTISI SPECIALIZED CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, DR. RAGHEB WARSHAGHA, SAYING:

“Critical cases are now arriving at Rantisi Hospital that require admission and proper treatment. The problem is that mothers themselves suffer from malnutrition and lack of milk, which leads to child malnutrition—especially in weight. This, in turn, causes severe infections and, sometimes, death due to weakened immunity from poor nutrition.”

6. MOTHER WATCHING SHAM MAQATTAH, BABY SUFFERING FROM SEVERE MALNUTRITION

7. VARIOUS OF MALNOURISHED BABY, SHAM MAQATTAH

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN MOTHER (NO NAME GIVEN) OF MALNOURISHED BABY, SHAM MAQATTAH, SAYING:

“As you can see, there is no milk, and I don’t have the nutrition to breastfeed her naturally. Her health has deteriorated, and I have been visiting the hospital for some time because of her condition. We hope that milk and diapers for children will be allowed in, and that crossings will open to bring in food. As mothers, we watch our children suffer, and it pains us.”

9. VARIOUS OF HUSSAM AL-TURAMSI WITH HIS MOTHER DURING A MEDICAL EXAMINATION FOR MALNUTRITION

10. VARIOUS OF HUSSAM AL-TURAMSI

11. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) HUSSAM AL-TURAMSI’S MOTHER (NO NAME GIVEN), SAYING:

“Because of the current situation, there is no milk, no food, nothing to drink. This is famine. I cannot meet my child’s needs. We were admitted on Friday, and since then my son has been surviving on IV fluids and is unable to walk.”

12. VARIOUS OF HEART-SHAPED WELCOMING SIGNS IN HOSPITAL CORRIDOR

13. VARIOUS OF FAMILY WHOSE TWIN CHILDREN SUFFER FROM MALNUTRITION

14. FAMILY MEETING WITH DOCTOR WARSHAGHA

15. BABY DRINKING FROM BOTTLE

16. VARIOUS OF FATHER AND MOTHER HOLDING TWIN BABIES

17. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TWINS’ FATHER, SAYING:

“My two children are suffering from severe malnutrition. We can’t find milk for them, and we don’t know what to do.”

18. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE HOLDING EMPTY CONTAINERS, WAITING TO OBTAIN FOOD FROM FREE COMMUNITY KITCHEN, IDP (INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS) CAMP

19. VARIOUS OF PALESTINIAN WOMAN GATHERING SCRAPS OF FOOD FROM GROUND AFTER COMMUNITY KITCHEN CLOSED AND SUPPLIES RAN OUT

20. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) PALESTINIAN WOMAN, (NO NAME GIVEN) SAYING: (HOLDING UP A BAG OF PULSES)

"Is this even edible?! Is this edible?! Is this edible?! This, people! (INAUDIBLE) to feed my children! Is this edible?! People, is this edible? People!! People!!! Have mercy on us! Have mercy on us! Have mercy on our children! Like you feed your children, feed us! Look at us!!!"

21. VARIOUS OF CHILDREN QUEUING IN FRONT OF COMMUNITY KITCHEN AFTER IT HAD CLOSED AND FOOD SUPPLIES WERE EXHAUSTED