Unicef says nine out of 10 children in Gaza cannot eat nutrients from enough food groups to ensure their healthy growth and development, Reuters reports.

“In the Gaza Strip, months of hostilities and restrictions on humanitarian aid have collapsed the food and health systems, resulting in catastrophic consequences for children and their families,” Unicef said.

The organisation said five sets of data collected between December 2023 and April 2024 showed that 9 out of 10 children in the Gaza Strip — which has been pounded by an Israeli offensive since last October — are suffering from severe food poverty, meaning that they are surviving on two or fewer food groups per day.

“This is evidence of the horrific impact the conflict and restrictions are having on families’ ability to meet children’s food needs and the speed at which it places children at risk of life-threatening malnutrition,” Unicef said.

Israel says it puts no limit on humanitarian supplies for civilians in Gaza and has blamed the United Nations for slow deliveries, saying its operations are inefficient.

But with pockets of famine emerging in Gaza, with some children dying from malnutrition and dehydration, even Israel’s staunchest allies have increased pressure on it to do more to let in food.