UN: Over 5,000 Gazans under 5 have been treated for malnutrition in past month

Over 5,000 children under five-years old in the Gaza Strip have received outpatient treatment for malnutrition this month, UN spokesperson Farhan Haq says, adding that the Strip’s only four treatment centers are overwhelmed and nearing collapse.

Haq says during a briefing that of the UN’s 17 requests to Israel on Sunday to transfer humanitarian aid from the Kerem Shalom Crossing into southern Gaza, three were denied outright, two were later cancelled after being approved while four were impeded but still succeeded in their mission.

Explaining why most aid is looted after entering Gaza before reaching its intended destination, the UN spokesperson says the supply of humanitarian assistance is unpredictable and Gazans lack confidence it will reach them.

“The only way to mitigate for this situation is by having a sustained flow of aid over a period of time. This was evident during the ceasefire, when such incidents did not occur,” Haq says.