MSF says Gaza malnutrition crisis was driven by aid restrictions and attacks on infrastructure
Doctors Without Borders has published an analysis saying severe restrictions on food and aid deliveries, together with attacks on civilian infrastructure, have driven a malnutrition crisis in Gaza.
The charity said the findings show particular harm to pregnant women and newborns.
MSF said the analysis was based on medical data from four health facilities in Gaza that were either administered or supported by the organisation between late 2024 and early 2026.
It said its first cases of child malnutrition were identified in January 2024.
The charity said more than half of the women treated at two hospitals suffered from malnutrition during pregnancy between June 2025 and January 2026, and 25% were still malnourished at delivery.
It said 90% of babies born under those conditions were premature and 84% had a low birth weight.
MSF said malnutrition had been almost non-existent in Gaza before the war began in October 2023.
It said the current conditions were a direct result of the conflict and the restrictions on essential goods and clean water.
The report matters because it links the wider humanitarian crisis in Gaza to measurable health outcomes for mothers and infants.
