The Media Line: UN Nutrition Survey Challenges Gaza Famine Narrative  

UN Nutrition Survey Challenges Gaza Famine Narrative  

By The Media Line Staff  

A new UN-backed nutrition survey found exceptionally low levels of acute malnutrition among children in Gaza, challenging allegations of famine in the Strip.   

The survey was conducted under the coordination of the Nutrition Cluster, the UNICEF-led body that oversees Gaza’s nutrition surveillance system. Researchers measured children’s weight, height and mid-upper-arm circumference before calculating the weight-for-height z-score, or WHZ, the standard indicator used by the World Health Organization and other organizations to assess acute malnutrition across populations.  

According to the survey, acute malnutrition, as measured by WHZ, ranged from 0.2% to 0.8% across Gaza’s regions.  

The findings also compared the current figures with Gaza’s prewar acute malnutrition rate of 0.8%, describing that level as relatively low and comparable to rates seen in developed countries. The survey said the figures were also below those reported in neighboring Egypt, at 2.9%, and Jordan, at 2.0%.  

The report concluded that the measured rates of acute malnutrition were well below critical thresholds and remained exceptionally low by both regional and Western standards.  

A year earlier, the Famine Review Committee of the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system issued a famine designation to characterize conditions in Gaza.  

Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon cited the latest survey on Thursday, saying it demonstrated that claims of famine in Gaza were collapsing.  

“Once again, facts prevail over fiction,” Danon said. “UN bodies are acknowledging that the false narrative against Israel is falling apart.”  

He added: “Israel is not starving children. Israel is fighting Hamas terrorism, while Hamas uses civilians in Gaza as human shields. Those who rushed to accuse Israel must now be held accountable for spreading lies.” 

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