WHO has confirmed reports of 99 people who died of malnutrition-related deaths in 2025, up until the end of July, including 64 adults and 35 children, most of the latter  under the age of five, said WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday. 

According to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Health Ministry, the number of malnutrition deaths this year has been nearly 6 times higher – reaching 579 by the end of last month. 

Speaking at a press briefing for the Geneva UN Press Corps, Tedros added that while more supplies are now flowing into Gaza, the food as well as medical aid now entering, “is only a fraction of what is needed.”

Tedros also called for the release of the 50 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, 22 of which are believed to be alive – “and for their humane treatment and access to medical care and food.”

In a special UN Security Council session on Wednesday, Israel, the United States and hostage family members denounced the Hamas starvation of their loved ones. The session followed last week’s release by Hamas of video footage of two gaunt hostages, Rom Braslavsky and Evyatar David – with David tallying the meager rations he had eaten over the past week.

“In July, nearly 12 000 children under five years were identified as suffering from acute malnutrition, the highest monthly figure ever recorded,” Tedros said at the briefing.

“Diseases continue to spread, fuelled by overcrowding and deteriorating water, sanitation and hygiene conditions, severely affecting the youngest,” he added, noting the growing concerns with two outbreaks in particular, of meningitis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, the latter a condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves, and which may be triggered by an acute bacterial or viral infection.

“As of the 31st of July, a total of 418 suspected cases of meningitis and 64 cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome have been reported, with a noticeable increase in July,” he noted.

Dying of hunger and in the search for food

WHO officials said that the data on malnutrition deaths, last updated on 29 July, was compiled from direct reports by Gaza hospitals, and then evaluated by WHO on the basis of factors such as body mass index, before being added to the count.  

“Meanwhile, people are dying not only from hunger and disease, but also in the desperate search for food,” Tedros said. Since 27 May, more than 1600 people have been killed and nearly 12,000 injured while trying to collect food from distribution sites, he said. 

The large number of deaths have been blamed not only on Israeli army open-fire orders, but also on the paucity of food distribution points – including four points controlled by the controversial Humanitarian Foundation – following a prolonged food blockade in March and April.  

The flow of supplies began to increase in May-July, and even more over the past week, with more UN as well as commercial trucks permitted to enter, along with airdrops of food packages into Gaza by Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and others. But as of July, the total volume of supplies entering the enclave only amounted to about  60% of the caloric needs of Gaza’s population of two million, according to data compiled by The Guardian from Israeli military reports of food truck deliveries. 

Meanwhile, more and more supplies are being looted en route to distribution points by desperate mobs of hungry people. Social media footage has also shown both armed gangs and Hamas gunmen, riding atop convoys of the flatbed trucks laden with sacks of flour and other essentials.

With increased desperation, has come  “a breakdown of law and order, creating dangerous conditions under which humanitarian operations are forced to be conducted,” said Tedros.

“The overall volume of nutrition supplies entering Gaza remains completely insufficient to prevent a further deterioration in the nutritional situation,” said Rick Peeperkorn, head of WHO’s office in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, speaking by video relay from Jerusalem. “The market needs to be flooded. There should also be a little to the diet, dietary diversity,” he added, noting a “complete breakdown in access to any diverse, nutritious foods.”

WHO is also supporting Gaza’s sole malnutrition treatment center in Gaza, and there too, “supplies are very low.”

Fears of repeat attack by Israeli military on WHO warehouse 

Despite the Israeli military attack on WHO’s main medical supply warehouse and staff residence in late July, WHO has als0 continued shipments and deliveries of medical supplies to Gaza’s hospitals, Tedros said.  The WHO warehouse and nearby staff residence were attacked by Israeli military drones and artillery shells on 21 July. Four male staff members were also detained in the incident, with one still in Israeli custody. See related story. 

WHO Denounces Israeli Attacks on its Gaza Warehouse and Staff Residence in Latest Military Offensive

Despite the damage, WHO has delivered a total of 68 trucks of essential medicines, blood, trauma and surgery supplies since late June, Tedros said.

But the WHO Director General expressed concerns about the risks posed by ongoing Israeli military operations in the vicinity of the warehouse, located in the coastal area of Deir Al Balah, which has only recently begun to see widespread military operations.

“Our premises need ongoing protection,” Tedros said. “Displacement orders issued….yesterday are risking the safety of our warehouse, which is 500 metres from the evacuation zone,” he noted. 

Medical evacuations – more host countries needed 

More than 14,800 patients in Gaza are also in urgent need of medical evacuation for specialised medical care,  Tedros stressed, appealing to host countries to accept more evacuees. 

Since the conflict began in October 2023, WHO has helped to evacuate 7522 patients from Gaza, Tedros added, including 15 critically ill children moved to Jordan on Wednesday. 

“We urge more countries to step forward to accept patients and for medical evacuations to be expedited through all possible routes,” Tedros said.

“The ongoing blockages must be stopped and greater volumes of aid need to come in to rebuild critical reserves,” he added, calling for a “scaled-up, sustained and unimpeded flow of humanitarian aid, including food and health aid, in line with international humanitarian law, via all possible routes.

“We also call for humanitarian corridors to evacuate those in need of urgent medical care outside Gaza.  We call for the protection of health workers, patients and all civilians. 

“We call for the release of all remaining hostages, and for their humane treatment and access to medical care and food.

“We call for the immediate and unconditional release of our [WHO] colleague who has been detained since the 21st of July. And most of all, we call for a ceasefire, and a lasting peace.”

Image Credits: UNRWA, E. Fletcher/Health Policy Watch, Hostages and Missing Families Forum , X/Channel 4 News , WHO.