KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip - Five-month-old Zainab Abu Halib died from malnutrition-related causes on Friday, weighing less than when she was born, her family and medical officials said, highlighting the deepening starvation crisis in Gaza after 21 months of war.
The baby was brought to the pediatric department of Nasser Hospital on Friday. She was already dead. Her mother, Esraa Abu Halib, had walked more than 30 minutes trying to reach medical care for her severely malnourished daughter.
The death comes as health officials report escalating malnutrition deaths across the Palestinian territory. The Gaza Health Ministry said Wednesday that 10 people had died of starvation in the previous 24 hours, bringing the total number of those killed by hunger to 111 since the start of the war.
Since an aid blockade began on March 2, 57 children have reportedly died from the effects of malnutrition, according to the Ministry of Health, though officials warn this number is likely an underestimate.
Medical facilities are treating severely malnourished infants, including a one-year-old boy who weighs just 6.5 pounds — the weight of a newborn. Nutrition screenings found that 15.6 percent of children under two years old are acutely malnourished, with nearly 3 percent suffering from severe wasting.
If current conditions persist, nearly 71,000 children under five are expected to be acutely malnourished over the next 11 months, according to health officials. International aid organizations have warned of widespread famine conditions throughout the territory.
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