Nearly 12,000 children under five in Gaza have acute malnutrition, says WHO
Some 2,500 of those children are suffering from severe malnutrition.
GENEVA - Around 12,000 children aged under five in Gaza are suffering from acute malnutrition, and hunger-related deaths are rising, the director-general of the World Health Organisation said on Aug 7.
"In July, nearly 12,000 children under five years were identified as having acute malnutrition in Gaza, the highest monthly figure ever recorded," Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at his organisation's headquarters in Geneva.
At least 99 people have died, including 64 adults and 35 children, of whom 29 were younger than five, from the start of 2025 to July 29.
Between June and July, the number of admissions for malnutrition almost doubled – from 6,344 to 11,877 – according to the latest Unicef figures available.
Some 2,500 of those children are suffering from severe malnutrition.
Dr Tedros called for greater volumes of sustained aid, via all possible routes.
The WHO said it was supporting Gaza's four malnutrition centres, but that supplies of baby formula and nutritional foods were very low.
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"The overall volume of nutrition supplies remains completely insufficient to prevent further deterioration. The market needs to be flooded. There needs to be dietary diversity," said Dr Rik Peeperkorn, WHO's representative for the occupied Palestinian Territory, via video link.
A global hunger monitor has said
a famine scenario is unfolding in the Gaza Strip, with starvation spreading, children dying of hunger-related causes and humanitarian access to the embattled enclave severely restricted.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said food consumption across Gaza had declined to its lowest level since the onset of the war.
Eighty-one per cent of households in the tiny, crowded coastal territory of 2.2 million people reported poor food consumption, up from 33 per cent in April. REUTERS
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Straits Times
8 hours ago
- Straits Times
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'Looking at that, I thought to myself, we are working in a very difficult environment,' Mr Kim said. 'In a summer like this, we think every day that we may die working like this.' Rising death toll Mr Kim's remark is not an exaggeration. As heat waves worsen, reports of outdoor workers dying on the job have increased. From May 20 to Sept 30 2024, a total of 3,704 heat-related illness cases were reported, including 34 deaths, according to government data. Non-farming outdoor worksites accounted for the highest number of cases at 1,176, followed by rice paddies and fields with 529 cases. The number of deaths caused by the heat wave was the second highest since 2018, when 48 people died. In 2025, the number is on course to be even higher. As of Aug 8, a total of 3,363 people had suffered heat-related illnesses since May 20. Among them, 20 people have died. Most cases occurred in outdoor workplaces. 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The parcel delivery workers' union claims the fatalities were likely related to the heat. Not an easy fix Starting July 17, workplaces where the apparent temperature exceeds 33 deg C are required to provide workers with at least 20 minutes of rest every two hours. The apparent temperature differs slightly from the ambient temperature usually recorded, in that it factors in wind flows and humidity to estimate its effect on humans. Employers who violate the rule could face up to five years in prison or fines of up to 50 million won (S$46,200). The revised rules on occupational safety further state that when temperatures exceed 38 deg C, all outdoor work must be suspended. 'When temperatures rise past a certain point, work must be stopped. If someone dies from heatstroke, it's already too late - that's just a post-mortem response,' said Professor Lee Jong-sun, a professor at Korea University's Graduate School of Labour Studies. However, many worksites are still not fully prepared. 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'Most construction workers are day laborers. If they don't work, they don't get paid,' Mr Kim Hoon said. 'Heat waves often come with typhoons, so when both happen, we earn nothing during that period. But we still have to feed our families and send our kids to school,' he said. 'For instance, when we were sent home in the afternoon due to a heat wave, I was supposed to earn 100,000 won that day, but I brought home only 50,000 won. It hurts me sometimes.' 'Last week, it rained all week and I didn't earn a single won,' he added. 'But we can't ask our companies to pay us for not working. That doesn't make sense. We're not freeloaders.' Still, as the situation worsens with even more scorching summers predicted, threatening lives of his colleagues, he hopes for some measures come out. 2024's summer was the hottest since 1973. Meteorologists expect this summer to be even hotter. With heat waves and heavy rains alternating, the lives of outdoor workers are becoming increasingly difficult. 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Straits Times
14 hours ago
- Straits Times
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She said there has been a slight uptick since Health Minister Ong Ye Kung announced on July 20 that the Ministry of Health is working with the Ministry of Home Affairs to list etomidate as an illegal drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act , which carries a heavier penalty for abusers and traffickers. It follows the discovery that a third of more than 100 vapes seized during enforcement operations and tested at random were found to contain etomidate. Since January, Ms Nasirah said Sana's caseworkers have followed up on six calls, which involve providing counselling to Kpod users, or helping them seek professional care at IMH's National Addictions Management Service (Nams). End craving Dr Melvyn Zhang, senior consultant at Nams, said conventional treatment methods for addiction can be used for Kpod addiction. He added: 'Counselling is useful to help the individual develop coping mechanisms, deal with the triggers and cravings to use Kpods and address any underlying factors that predispose them to such. 'Psychiatric medication may be required if the individual also develops or suffers from co-morbid psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety.' Dr Winslow said Kpod users may not develop physical dependency. 'You don't have withdrawals like with heroin, with the shaking and stomach pains. There's no physical dependency, but there might be a psychological dependency for vulnerable people,' he said, adding that the majority of his Kpod-related patients can be well within a week of treatment. The more complicated cases involve those who also use drugs such as methamphetamine and heroin, as they require him to help them detox from different substances. Impart's Mr Narasimman said that with Kpod users, counsellors learn the underlying reason for their usage and try to introduce lifestyle changes and coping mechanisms. 'If they are influenced by peers, we teach them how to be assertive and say no to their friends,' he said, adding that Impart has different counselling programmes catered to young people according to the severity of their Kpod use. 'For those who are merely experimenting, it's usually because of curiosity. So we'll lay out the pros and cons for them, and come up with a safety plan for them to prevent further usage,' he added. Mr Narasimman said young people who are addicted to Kpods are usually referred to Nams to get professional help. Nams also offers a family support group and counsellor service for caregivers to provide them with support, from stress management to strategies to cope with the effects of addiction and beyond. Mr Narasimman said Impart is looking into creating a support group for parents whose children are abusing Kpods. Nams' Dr Zhang said it is important for parents to create a safe space for children to share openly about their struggles. 'Take time to understand the underlying factors driving their behaviour – whether it's academic pressure, social influences or emotional difficulties,' he said. Some ways parents can support their children with vaping addictions are by validating their feelings while being clear about the risks of vaping, and guiding them towards professional help and counselling services when needed. Dr Winslow, the psychiatrist, said the worst thing for parents to do is to handle the matter themselves or ignore their child's Kpod use. 'You will need to spend a lot more time with your kids, even if it means you take time off from work,' said Dr Winslow. 'Tell them that there are consequences if you do this (abuse Kpods).' What works better is to enrol their children for treatment or rehabilitation sessions. For starters, parents can put in constraints such as cutting free time to go out with friends on weekends, or even disallowing them to join family holidays. 'Once there's a constraint or something where people check on you or help you learn more about self-awareness, emotions and all that, the whole use issue will go down,' he said. Mr Narasimman said parents should avoid shaming their children, or resorting to drastic measures like kicking them out of the house or cutting their pocket money. He said: 'This will push the young person to the edge, and they will be forced to react. I had a youth who resorted to selling vapes to fund his own addiction because his parents cut off his pocket money.' Members of the public can report vaping offences to the Tobacco Regulation Branch by calling 6684-2036 or 6684-2037 from 9am to 9pm daily, or online at Under current laws, possessing, using or buying vapes carries a maximum fine of $2,000. Anyone who distributes, imports or sells vapes and their components can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000. Those found in possession of or using pods containing etomidate can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $10,000. If you need help to quit vaping, you can join the Health Promotion Board's I Quit programme by calling the QuitLine on 1800-438-2000.
AsiaOne
a day ago
- AsiaOne
Hunger and disease spreading in war-torn Sudan, WHO says, World News
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