UNICEF finds high disease burden among young children in Gaza
A new nutrition survey shows both an improvement in acute malnutrition and continuing problems with illness, nutrition and care.
A UNICEF-led survey among children under five in accessible parts of Gaza reveals a complex health situation. During the measurement period, 37.1 per cent of the children had had diarrhoea, while 12.2 per cent had chronic stunting.
The Gaza SMART Survey 2026 was carried out between late May and mid-June. Researchers examined children aged between zero and 59 months in areas accessible to aid organisations. The survey is therefore not automatically representative of all children in Gaza.
The results show that acute malnutrition in the group studied was relatively limited after humanitarian aid had increased. At the same time, the disease burden remained high. Diarrhoea, a poor-quality diet and problems accessing care can affect young children's health over the long term.
UNICEF reported that 37.1 per cent of the children surveyed had had diarrhoea in the two weeks before the survey. Chronic malnutrition in the form of stunting was also found in 12.2 per cent. This indicates long-term problems, not a separate cause in every child.
The survey also describes limited dietary quality and problems feeding babies and young children. UNICEF warns that progress made can quickly be reversed if access to food, clean water, medical care and sanitation deteriorates again.
The World Health Organization reported in a humanitarian overview that a large part of the healthcare infrastructure has been damaged and that thousands of patients, including children, need medical evacuation. Such figures come from different sources and measurement periods; they are not directly comparable with the SMART survey.
The main conclusion is therefore not that every child in Gaza is ill, but that young children live in a vulnerable environment in which illness, nutrition and healthcare reinforce one another. Aid organisations are calling for stable access to basic services and medical treatment, while the survey itself emphasises that its results are tied to a particular place and time.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The UNICEF survey found a high disease burden among children in the areas studied.
- The sample was limited to accessible parts of Gaza.
- The survey reported both relatively low acute malnutrition and chronic stunting and poor dietary quality.
- WHO and UNICEF report major pressure on healthcare and a need for medical evacuations.
Left
Arguments The priority should be unimpeded humanitarian access, protection for healthcare workers and the restoration of water supplies, food provision and hospitals. Children's health must not depend on political negotiations.
Values Human dignity, international humanitarian law and equal access to care.
Consequences More aid and restoration efforts could reduce illness and malnutrition, but would require long-term funding and safe access.
Centre
Arguments Aid should be delivered quickly, but also be verifiable and targeted at the areas and groups in greatest need. Health data must be interpreted carefully because access and measurement methods differ.
Values Institutional reliability, effectiveness and the protection of civilians.
Consequences A combination of monitoring and access prevents waste, but must not lead to delays in urgent aid.
Right
Arguments Humanitarian aid should be linked to security, control over distribution and the responsibility of all parties to prevent armed groups from misusing it. From this perspective, structural aid without security arrangements could prolong the crisis.
Values Security, responsibility and the rule of law.
Consequences Stricter conditions could limit misuse, but carry the risk that essential aid reaches children later.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
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The survey figures and the limitations of the sample were directly checked with UNICEF. Additional information about healthcare infrastructure comes from a WHO overview and has been presented as separate source context.
- confirmed The SMART survey examined children aged between zero and 59 months in accessible parts of Gaza. — This is stated in UNICEF's description of the 2026 survey. source
- confirmed 37.1 per cent of the children surveyed had had diarrhoea in the preceding two weeks. — UNICEF USA cites this percentage in its summary of the survey. source
- confirmed Chronic stunting was found in 12.2 per cent of the children. — This percentage appears in the same UNICEF summary. source
- confirmed The WHO reports that thousands of patients from Gaza need medical evacuation. — The WHO Health Emergency Appeal 2026 cites more than 18,500 patients, including approximately 4,000 children. source
Editor's note
The figures come from a survey in accessible areas and do not automatically apply to Gaza as a whole. Claims of deliberate undermining have not been presented as established fact, because the public sources consulted provide no independent substantiation for them.Sources
- Gaza SMART Survey 2026 — UNICEF
- New SMART survey provides updated assessment of child and maternal nutrition in accessible areas of Gaza — UNICEF USA
- State of Palestine Humanitarian Situation Report No. 48 — UNICEF
- WHO Health Emergency Appeal 2026 — World Health Organization