Key messages
• Nutrition security relates to diets, services and care, and all three of these key determinants are severely affected in the Gaza Strip.
• Improved humanitarian access has contributed to modest improvements in food security indicators and the nutrition of children (6-23 months). This was clearly seen in April.
• However, repeated and forced displacement of the population since the beginning of the conflict continues to negatively impact access and availability. Poor access to the population and the population’s inability to access services hinder the identification and treatment of children with acute malnutrition. Displacement also affects care and practices, as people on the move risk losing their assets and face difficult living conditions.
• With the recent displacement in Rafah and the escalation of conflict throughout the Gaza Strip, the dietary habits of young children and pregnant and breastfeeding women have reversed and remain extremely concerning.
nutritional status
The Nutrition Vulnerability Analysis (NVA) covered April-May 2024, with data collected between April 1 and May 24, 2024. In this current NVA, the analysis considered two main geographical areas separated by the Gaza Valley: Northern and Southern Gaza.1
• According to UNICEF’s latest post-delivery monitoring (PDM) assessment conducted in the Gaza Strip between May 20-24, 93% of children aged 6-23 months had eaten two or fewer food groups in the 24 hours before the survey; (7% ate three or four), while 96% of pregnant and breastfeeding women ate two or fewer food groups. High levels of nutritional diversity and actual micronutrient deprivation can seriously compromise both women’s health and the development of their children.2
• According to UNICEF’s Child Health and Nutrition Report conducted in May 2024, 85% of parents in the Gaza Strip reported that their children did not eat for a day due to lack of money or other resources, while almost 100% of households did not pay enough to feed their children. He reported that he had to skip meals or eat less to provide food.
• Almost 90% of children under 5 years of age are affected by one or more diseases; 52% had diarrhea in the last two weeks; and World Food Program (WFP) According to CATI (computer-assisted telephone interviews), 54% had fever between 7 and 23 May. Sanitation remains generally poor and can directly threaten the nutritional status of children under 5 years of age and other vulnerable groups, such as children under 6 months or the elderly.
• Access to healthcare continues to deteriorate due to the continued destruction of healthcare facilities. Despite humanitarian efforts to mitigate these impacts, under difficult conditions, approximately 60% of 97 primary healthcare (PHC) facilities and 73% of 56 hospitals (Static and Field) across the Gaza Strip remain non-functional or partially functional. 3
• Household access to clean water is still very limited. According to the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Group, current water supply is estimated to be only 2-9 liters per person per day (l/c/day), compared to 85 l/c/day before October 2023. WFP CATI found that nearly 80% of households listed “water” as a priority need. This is particularly concerning for formula-fed babies and poses a proven risk of increased infectious diseases, including diarrheal disease and hepatitis A.
• While small gains were made in humanitarian access in April, a moderate improvement was reflected in food security indicators. However, this recovery depends on regular and sustained access and availability of food and healthcare. In April, access to and expansion of basic services certainly enabled the stabilization of the nutrition situation in the South.
• The displacement of more than 1 million people in the South and ground operations in the North reduced the small gains made in April through the closure of feeding areas, disruption and displacement of services in shelters, health services and hospitals. • In the North, access to nutrition services was still limited in early April but improved towards the end of the month due to occasional humanitarian access; this allowed the initiation of prevention activities as well as the early detection and treatment of acute malnutrition.
Nutrition information system
• Conflicts and population displacement in Gaza are extremely dynamic. Collecting and reporting data remains extremely difficult due to ongoing distrust and associated access difficulties.
• Thanks to the efforts of all partners, data collection was improved in Southern Gaza in March and April 2024. In Southern Gaza, despite the population displacement from Rafah to Khan Younis and the Central regions in May, as well as the relocation of humanitarian teams, partners managed to continue screening and remote data collection during Operations. In northern Gaza, access challenges impacted the delivery of services and disrupted ongoing nutrition programs. This made it difficult to ensure early and regular screening of at-risk children for care, which reduced the availability of anthropometric data in March and April. However, in northern Gaza at the end of April, nutrition partners were able to provide nutritional screening and treatment services and resume collecting anthropometric data. Additional data collected between 12 and 25 May in both Northern Gaza and Gaza City were made available and both data sets were used to estimate the nutritional status in Northern Gaza. The quality of data is generally improving and secondary data is available to monitor the situation.
• Nutrition Cluster partners are exploring alternative methods of generating nutrition evidence based on different scenarios. When the situation permits, conventional surveys, which are better accepted, should be conducted. Although this represents only a single point in time, it will at least provide a baseline picture of the nutritional status of children in Gaza that the humanitarian community can use to plan and expand services.