MSF accuses Israel of manufacturing a malnutrition crisis in Gaza
Key takeaways
- Doctors Without Borders said it identified its first cases of child malnutrition in January 2024, just three months into Israel’s assault.
- The charity also found higher mortality rates among babies born to mothers affected by malnutrition.
- The MSF analysis is based on incidents that occurred at four health facilities in Gaza that were either administered or supported by MSF between late 2024 and early 2026.
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Doctors Without Borders said it identified its first cases of child malnutrition in January 2024, just three months into Israel’s assault.
xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Fatima Arafa, a pregnant and displaced Palestinian woman, eats a meal inside her tent, where she has taken shelter with her family after fleeing Israeli attacks in Gaza City, July 10, 2025 [Ebrahim Hajjaj/Reuters]By Daniel Khalili-Tari Published On 7 May 20267 May 2026Israel has manufactured a malnutrition crisis in the besieged Gaza Strip by restricting deliveries of food and aid, causing severe harm to pregnant women and newborns, according to medical charity Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF.
MSF said in an analysis of medical data published on Thursday that Israel’s severe restrictions on supplies of essential goods and its attacks on civilian infrastructure had led to rising levels of malnutrition among pregnant women, increasing the likelihood of premature births.