Today's top news: Occupied Palestinian Territory
UNOCHA - United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs
Occupied Palestinian Territory
Gaza: Daily reports of deaths due to malnutrition and starvation
OCHA warns that Israeli air strikes and bombardment across several areas of the Gaza Strip - including Gaza governorate - continue to kill, injure and displace people and destroy civilian infrastructure.
Today, the Ministry of Health in Gaza reported that eight people, including three children, died due to malnutrition and starvation over the past 24 hours. Such reports have become a daily occurrence, reflecting the deepening humanitarian crisis and the urgent need for sustained assistance.
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) conducted a refresher training at Rantissi Children's Hospital for 17 staff members, focusing on the inpatient management of malnutrition. Rantissi is one of the five nutrition stabilization centres in Gaza, and one of only two located in Gaza city. The recent surge in malnutrition cases among children has necessitated the establishment and scaling-up of these centres.
So far this year, more than 340 children have been admitted for malnutrition treatment at these centres in Gaza - and this year, as of 5 August, 49 child deaths from malnutrition have been reported, including 39 children under the age of 5.
Meanwhile, data collected by the UN and its partners from more than 900 households across Gaza in July indicated continuous trauma leading to mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Many people are living in informal shelters that are overcrowded, unsafe and lack space and privacy, especially for women and children.
Care staff themselves are traumatized - and today, partners working on protection started providing mental health and psychosocial support for their teams in Gaza through "care for carers" sessions.
OCHA notes that shelter items are a priority, as supplies have run out, leaving people exposed to the summer heat and with nothing to protect them when winter comes. Many tents and tarpaulins need to be replaced, as they will not be able to withstand the elements.
This is particularly urgent amid the announced expansion of Israeli military operations in Gaza city, which would have catastrophic consequences for people enduring starvation and repeated displacement.
Meanwhile, households continue to report poor sanitation and lack of clean water. In southern Gaza, the Israeli-supplied water pipeline, Mekorot, has been damaged for almost a week now, affecting water supply for thousands of people in the area.
WHO reports that since October 2023, 7,560 patients - including more than 5,000 children - have been evacuated for medical treatment outside of the Gaza Strip, with Egypt and the United Arab Emirates receiving the most patients. However, it is estimated that more than 14,800 people still need medical evacuation.
Yesterday, UN teams in Gaza collected food and fuel from the Kerem Shalom and Zikim crossings. While more than half of 15 missions coordinated with the Israeli authorities were facilitated, the remaining ones were either denied, impeded or cancelled.
Meanwhile, the entry of goods has somewhat improved the market situation in terms of both prices and availability. For example, after peaking at 600 shekels per bag - about $175 - in the past two weeks, the price of sugar has dropped to an average of 40 shekels, or $12. However, severe cash shortages are preventing families from buying food, water and medicine.
OCHA underscores that the amount of aid and goods that can be brought into Gaza does not meet the minimum requirements of people who are starving.
A ceasefire is critically needed to reach all those in need, along with a sustained and scaled-up flow of aid.
West Bank: Mounting settler violence displaces Palestinian communities
OCHA warns that settler attacks have intensified in the West Bank.
Between January and mid-July, about 3,000 Palestinians, primarily from herding and Bedouin communities, have been displaced by settler violence and access restrictions. Other communities, such as Ras Ein al-Auja in the Jordan Valley, are at imminent risk of forcible transfer.
OCHA continues to call for the protection of these herding and Bedouin communities, who have been living in the area for decades and are facing mounting pressure to leave.
Posted on 13 August 2025
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